


Unbidden Vengeance: Exploited Memories

by Chokolatte (ChokolatteJedi)



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Reality, Angst, Comedy, Early Work, F/M, M/M, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-02
Updated: 2005-04-12
Packaged: 2017-10-09 15:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 32
Words: 22,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/88972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/Chokolatte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever wondered what would happen if Inuyasha became possessed and finally said what he was thinking? (My first Inuyasha fic, and the first of my published fanfic that hasn't gone 404 on me. Formerly on MM.org and FF.net) Beta'd by the fantastic My Sweet Koinu!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I - Sunny Outlook

Chapter I - Sunny Outlook

"It's such a beautiful day!" Kagome cried, throwing her hands out and spinning around. The group had just started walking for the morning and the warm spring day had buoyed everyone's spirits. Shippo hopped onto her shoulder, laughing as she spun. "c'mon Inuyasha!" Kagome grabbed the Inu-hanyou's hands and spun him around.

"Keh." However, Inuyasha didn't pull away from her grip.

Sango couldn't help but smile as the surly hanyou lost his frown. He hated it when Kagome had to go back to her time and had been pouting since she announced her intentions the night before. Even Inuyasha, however, couldn't remain upset on such a beautiful day.

"Wha-" Inuyasha gasped as Kagome released his hands. Momentum threw all three to the ground. Inuyasha jumped to his feet, only to find Kagome and Shippo still lying in the grass, laughing hysterically. "Kagome! That wasn't funny."

"Y- yes it w-w-was." Shippo forced the words out. Kagome was still laughing too hard to respond. Even Sango had to grin as she exchanged looks with a chuckling Miroku.

"Keh." Inuyasha pulled Kagome to her feet, Shippo reclaiming his spot on her shoulder. He reached to pull her onto his back when she broke away. "Kagome?"

"My bag…" She ran back the path a few feet to where she had dropped the yellow monstrosity before her impromptu spinning session.

"Oi! Kagome!"

Inuyasha cursed under his breath as a small tornado spun to a stop next to Kagome. His mutters escalated to a growl as Kouga grabbed the girl's hands. "Mutt-face! You're here! You still hanging out with him Kagome?"

Kagome blushed and pulled away from the wolf youkai as Inuyasha drew Tessaiga. "Get lost, wimpy wolf, unless you want me to take your shards, and the limbs they're attached to."

"Relax mutt-face, I just wanna talk to Kagome, why don't you go chase your tail."

"Kagome, get away from him." Snarling, Inuyasha advanced on the wolf, hate filling his eyes. Winds wrapped around Tessaiga as the hanyou raised it above his head. Suddenly the ground shook and the sound of trees crashing filled the air. Miroku pulled Sango to her feet as Shippo helped Kagome up. The youkai had all kept their footing as tremors shook the ground.

"INU-YASHA!!!" A wild roar rang through the forest. The crashing noise increased and suddenly a horned snout pushed into the clearing, followed by the largest youkai Kagome had ever seen. It looked like the rhinos she had seen at the zoo at home, but it was a slimy greenish-purple and about twice the size of an elephant. It had long claws that tore at the trees as it stepped onto the path.

"Keh." Inuyasha raised Tessaiga again, winds whipping around it. Kouga balled his fists and moved into a fighter's stance. Sango ripped off her skirt, revealing her exterminator outfit beneath. Kirara hopped off her Mistress's shoulder and transformed in a roaring ball of fire. With his free hand, Miroku gripped the holy beads that formed the seal on his Kazana. Kagome ran to the shelter of the trees, Shippo clutching her shoulder.

"WHERE IS INU-YASHA???" The rhino youkai yelled.

"Keh. Right here. Who are you?"

The monster looked around in confusion, hesitating on Kouga and finally finding Inuyasha. "YOU? A HANYOU?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

"NARAKU! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? YOU NEED ME TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PATHETIC LITTLE HANYOU FOR YOU?"

"Naraku?" Miroku and Kagome cried out in unison.

"How about I take you on instead and then mutt-face won't hurt himself trying to swing that rusty sword of his."

"Kouga!!! Back off! I'll take his shard and then I'll take yours!"

"Hah! You mutt-face? You couldn't hope to catch me even if you did manage to hit this big pushover! He's mine!"

"Oh yeah? He came for me, so I'll kill him! Kagome, where's big and ugly's shard?"

Kagome squinted at the beast. "Um, it's in his horn!"

"Great!" Inuyasha flew into the air, swinging down Tessaiga as he bellowed, "Kaze no Kizu!!!" The blast split the beast in half with a bright surge of yellow light.

"NO! HOW COULD YOU, A HAN-"

"Keh. Shut up." Inuyasha landed and cut the beast's horn off, severing its neck in the process. A black shard fell into his hand. Kagome ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "Here." He handed her the shard, which turned a light pink in her hand.

"Nice job mutt-face, lucky I didn't need to step in and save you."

Inuyasha growled and shoved Kagome behind him. "Beat it, wimpy wolf, before I have to kill you. Oi! Runt, Monk, Sango! We're leaving!"

"Kagome!!! Hel-"

"Shippo? Oh!" both Kouga and Inuyasha whirled around at Kagome's gasp and watched in horror as she was swallowed by a silvery light.


	2. Turning Point

Kanna materialized in the middle of the forest. Holding her mirror, she silently walked up to the Monk and the Exterminator, who were both busy watching the Hanyou fight Naraku's newest recruit. Without a word she turned the mirror sideways and enveloped both humans in a silvery glow. A few seconds later, the glow receded, leaving Kanna alone.

She walked around the edge of the clearing until she saw the kitsune. She moved to turn her mirror sideways, but the young youkai must have sensed her presence, for he turned at the same time. "Kagome!!! Hel-" The silvery mist swallowed him before he could finish calling for help.

"Shippo?" The Miko came running after the child and as Kanna turned her mirror sideways, the silver glow started to envelope the human. Running into the glow head on, the Miko had time to utter a soft "Oh!" before she too disappeared.

The Hanyou and the Wolf-youkai turned in time to see her vanish. Finishing Kanna's job for her, both males jumped after the Miko, yelling. "Kagooome!" "Ka-gome!"

Kanna rightened the mirror. She hadn't intended to capture the wolf as well, but it didn't matter. Surrounding herself in a blue haze, she slowly rotated the mirror 180 degrees, and solemnly pronounced "Now their world will be turned on its head."

The blue haze exploded with a sharp snap and a flash of white light. When the smoke cleared, the only indication that anyone had passed by was the slaughtered rhino youkai.


	3. III - Osuwari

_Kagome. Have to get to Kagome._ Inuyasha struggled to make sense of his groggy mind and hazy memories. _Kagome- in trouble… Must help… Kanna… Save Kagome._ "Unh!" Inuyasha jerked awake and batted at the fluffy red object tickling his nose. He blinked rapidly and Shippo's tail came into focus. "Oi! Runt!" Reaching out, he thumped the kit's head.

"Waaaaahhhhhh! Kaagooomeee!"

"Osuwari."

Inuyasha gave an enormous tweak but wasn't slammed into the ground. "Huh? It, it didn't work?" he grabbed for the kotodama rosary and found it gone. "Heh! I'm free! You can't just say `osuwari' and…"

Kagome suddenly flew into the ground, pulled down hard by a beaded belt around her waist.

"Huh?" Everyone stared at Kagome, who was sitting down with the most confused look on her face. "Osuwari?" The beaded belt glowed and she was yanked into the ground again.

"I don't understand…"

Miroku peered closely at the belt. "It seems that some one has removed Inuyasha's necklace and transferred its spell to that belt on Kagome."

Sango looked concerned, "But only Kaede could have done that, right? I mean, it was her spell to begin with, wasn't it?"

Kagome's expression changed from puzzlement to resolve. "That's right, let's go find her and ask."

Inuyasha grinned. "Oh, I dunno, I don't really mind" He reclined against the grass with his hands behind head.

"I-n-u-y-a-s-h-a…"

He flinched. "yeah?"

"OSUWARI!!!!"

He tweaked instinctively and then leaned back and laughed. "Feh. Baa-ka!"

Inuyasha basked in the late afternoon sun with his eyes closed, oblivious to Kagome as she glared at him with all the female fury she could muster. _However he did it, I will get him for it. Just you wait Inuyasha, just you wait until I get that rosary back around your neck._ Plotting new and inventive ways to make the Hanyou pay, she wasn't surprised to hear the crack of a hand hitting flesh.

"Miroku…" Inuasha sighed without opening his eyes.

"It wasn't me!" he protested.

"Right, someone else just reached over and grabbed Sango's rear."

"No…" the Monk sounded very surprised, "Sango grabbed mine."


	4. IV - Oh My Young Ears!!!

"No…" the Monk sounded very surprised, "Sango grabbed mine."

"What?" Inuyasha sat up with a jerk and stared at the blushing monk and the pouting exterminator. The red mark of a handprint was clearly visible on the girl's face.

He and Kagome exchanged a look of complete shock, temporarily forgetting their argument. Shippo couldn't tear his eyes away from Sango's hand; he had seen the entire thing. "I… he… did… but she… um… oh my young eyes!!!"

"Oh Kagome, can you really blame me?" Sango appealed to the other girl. "I mean come on; I know he always wears the bulky robes, but he does all that running like Inuyasha, you know… and just… so firm… how could I not?"

"Oh my young ears!" Shippo squealed as he clasped his paws over his ears and ran over to hide behind Kagome. "No more, no more!"

"Keh. Just what we need, another freaking lecher."

"But Miroku, isn't that what you've always wanted?" Kagome managed to ask, barely suppressing her laughter. "I mean to have a girl, especially Sango, reciprocate your hentai ways. You're always groping her, and now she's paid you back for it. Why aren't you over the moon with delight?"

The Monk shifted uncomfortably and flushed a deeper red, fiddling with the hem of his robes. "I'm really not sure. I wasn't expecting it. It's just all so sudden. I mean, Sango-chan…"

"So now the Monk is all chaste and pure like he's supposed to be and Sango is a lecher who can't keep her hands off him?" Inuyasha couldn't decide whether to laugh or groan at the new development.

"Do you think it could have something to do with your kotodama rosary being gone and my belt and that silver mist that came out of Kanna's mirror?" Kagome asked.

"Maybe." Miroku looked thoughtful. "It would seem that certain aspects of our personalities and physical attributes have been swapped."

"Oi!"

"Great, wimpy wolf is back." Inuyasha muttered with disgust as he got to his feet and moved to Kagome, who was also rising.

"Oi! Inuyasha!" Kouga skidded to a halt in front of Inuyasha as the hanyou shoved Kagome behind him.

"What do you want, baka?"

"Well I was thinking… I know I said I wanted Kagome as my mate, but I've changed my mind."

"Heh. About time."

"Inuyasha, I want **you** to be my mate."


	5. V - The Sound of Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter dedicated to **Kleo** for being my first reviewer! :D

"Inuyasha, I want you to be my mate."

In the dead silence that followed, it was hard to tell who was more surprised. Shippo gurgled and fell off Kagome's shoulder, twitching. Sango fainted. Miroku stopped staring open-mouthed at Kouga and ran to her aid. Kagome sank to her knees, blinking rapidly, hoping it would improve her hearing and erase or clarify what had just been said. Inuyasha stared at the wolf youkai with a look akin to the absolute hatred he favored on Naraku.

"You wanna say that one more time?" He demanded, gripping Tessaiga's hilt.

"I've thought about it. You're a good fighter, like me. You fight well enough that I can ignore the whole hanyou thing. And you are an Inuyoukai, which is similar to the wolves, I mean it's not impossible. You can almost run as fast as me too. And you have just the cutest little puppy ears!"

Kagome gasped and stared at the wolf in horror. "THAT'S IT!" Inuyasha bellowed, drawing Tessaiga. With a roar it transformed, covered in swirling winds. **"KAZE NO KIZU!!!"**

Kouga dodged the blast and dashed off. "I'll be back later for you, Inuyasha!" He yelled over his shoulder as he sped over a hill.

"That freaking Bast-"

"Inuyasha." Kagome weakly reprimanded him.

"Feh. Damn wolf. Next time I see him, not even his shards will save him."

Shippo gurgled again and Kagome turned and lifted the kit into her arms. "Shhh. Its ok, Kouga is gone now. Just forget everything you just heard."

The fox youkai whimpered and snuggled into her arms. "No no no. No more. Why can't everyone act normal?"

"Sango? Are you ok?" Miroku was kneeling over the prone exterminator when he suddenly stiffened.

"Miroku?" Kagome walked towards him. "That's a nice shade of red."

Sango, eyes still closed, smirked. Her smile disappeared and she sighed as a red handprint blossomed across her cheek. Miroku, after slapping her, scrambled away from her groping hand.

"Hentai Sango-chan!" He gasped out.

Sango sighed again and glared at the offending limb. "It must be a youkai curse. This is my hiraikotsu hand after all. It must be residual youki from the youkai this bone came from."

"Ugh. Inuyasha?" Kagome rose and looked around for the hanyou. He was glaring northward, facing the wind, ears pressed flat against his skull, growling slightly. Kagome approached him slowly. "Um, Inu-yasha?"

"Can you hear it?" He demanded.

"Hear what?"

He growled. "Heh. Listen for a minute. Can't you hear that song?"

Kagome and Shippo both strained to hear what had caught the Inuyoukai's attention. "I don't hear anything." Kagome admitted a few minutes later as the kit shook his head. "What does it sound like?"

"Feh. Like a song. How am I supposed to know what kind? That's what I'm trying to hear."

"Do you think it is dangerous?"

"Nah. It just gives me a headache." He glanced at the setting sun. "C'mon, we'd better get a fire going before you freeze. Oi! Sango, stop trying to grope the Monk! Miroku, stop letting the lecher-ette get you."

Kagome sighed as the others followed her and Inuyasha. They found a campsite nearby and soon had a good fire going. After dinner, Shippo helped Kagome lay out her bedroll as Miroku and Inuyasha talked about what had happened. Sango was getting ready to curl up with the transformed Kirara, who was already fast asleep. "Inuyasha?" She asked as the hanyou whined.

Inuyasha suddenly shot to his feet and stared northward. "It's the music… it's changed… it's… saying something?" He stared into the blackness as though the eerie music could be seen if he tried hard enough.

Before Kagome could comment, he whined again. Arching back on his toes, he began to shake. A seizure? She wondered as he fell to one knee, head down. "Inuyasha? Are you alright?"

Inuyasha kneeled there, his head tilted down, silvery bangs hiding his eyes. A low growl formed deep in his throat as he pulsed once, twice. "Keh" A smile lit his face, twisting his features as he looked up, eyes a dull redish-gold, pupil-less and vacant.


	6. VI - Sweet Retribution

Inuyasha tilted his head down, silvery bangs hiding his eyes. A low growl formed deep in his throat as he pulsed once, twice. "Keh" A smile lit his face, twisting his features as he looked up, eyes a dull redish-gold, pupil-less and vacant.

_What?_ Kagome took a hesitant step forward, "Inuyasha?" _Who does he remind me of?_ She wondered. _Those eyes, he looks like… like…_ she gasped.

"Kohaku." Kagome and Miroku both turned to look at Sango, amazed by the pain in her voice. "He looks like Kohaku, like he's been possessed like him."

"Yeah, but I don't sense a jewel shard on him."

"Could it be," Miroku said thoughtfully, "that he is being controlled from afar? Like when Tsubaki placed a curse on you through the shikon no tama?"

Kagome tilted her head, considering, "It could be, but I don't think so. This has a different feel to it. It's wilder, more …"

"Feral." Miroku supplied.

"Feral?" Shippo sniffed the air, "like a wild dog?"

"Mmhm."

"The funny thing is, I'm still here." Inuyasha drawled as four heads turned to stare at him in shock. "And I think I'm a little tired of you talking about me behind my back, especially when you do it right in front of me."

Kagome finally broke the heavy silence. "Inuyasha, we didn't mean… we were just trying… we're worried about you."

"Keh. Osuwari." Kagome was pulled down onto her bedroll.

"Inu- I don't-"

"Isn't that what happened the last time I was worried about you or trying to protect you from something you didn't understand? You said `it' to me? And then, when you found out that I had a reason, a damn good reason, instead of apologizing for assuming that I had less brains than the runt, you said that it was my fault for not telling you in the first place and then I got osuwaried again."

"And, as I recall, that's exactly what happened the time before this, too… and the time before that as well… hmmm." The sarcasm in his voice deepened, "So why is it that when I try to help or save you, I get osuwaried half way to the center of the earth? Huh? Why shouldn't I just take your shards and shove you back through the well without them, so I can stop being slammed into the ground right after I get my guts re-arranged trying to save your life?"

Kagome didn't even try to get to her feet as she had the first two times, "Inuyasha, that's not, I mean, I didn't -"

He cut her off, "You didn't what? You didn't say `it' to me? That isn't what happened? Now that's not how I remembered it. Lets see." He screwed up his face in pretend concentration. "Oh yeah, I think it went something like this: osuwari osuwari Osuwari  
Osuwari baka baka Baka Baka OSUWARI OSUWARI BAKA **OSUWARI OSUWARI  
OSUWARI!!!!!!!!!!!!!"** He walked over to the edge of the crater and looked down at Kagome. "Isn't that what happened last time?"

Kagome shivered at the cold tone of his voice. Tears filling her eyes as much as from the turmoil in her heart as the physical pain, she dared to look up into his blank and shadowed eyes. "I- I'm sor-sorry." She gasped out.

"Tears won't work wench."

As he said it, Kagome struggled to see though her tears. _Wait, is that?_ She dashed moisture from her eyes, looking deeper into his. His smile, so vindictive and cruel, it didn't extend to his eyes. She almost thought… _wait, it can't be… sadness?_ Deep in golden eyes she saw a faint spark, like a tear hovering far out of reach, and inside that tear she knew, was the real Inuyasha.

She was distracted from her thoughts as he swiveled his ears and blinked. He suddenly leapt into the air, watching calmly as hiraikotsu swept though the air he had been in and swooped back over the pit to thump into Sango's hand.


	7. VII - Speaking His Mind

He suddenly leapt into the air, watching calmly as hiraikotsu swept though the air he had been in and swooped back over the pit to thump into Sango's hand.

"Get away from Kagome." Miroku's voice was hard. He stood next to Sango, grasping his Shakuju in one hand and some ofuda in the other. Shippo stood by her other side, balls of turquoise fox fire darting between his hands. A transformed Kirara stood behind her mistress, growling.

"Keh." Inuyasha landed out of her sight. Kagome struggled to her feet and started to climb out of the pit he'd osuwaried her into. "All of you have tried to kill me before, what makes you think you could succeed now, especially since I'm the one who has to keep your heads on your necks on a daily basis?"

"We're fighting together now." Shippo mumbled as his foxfire dimmed a bit.

"And you've been possessed. You won't fight as well." Miroku added, though he seemed to be trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

"And you really think those ofuda will work when they didn't the first time? Or that Kirara's flames or your fox-fire will get through my **fire** rat haori and hurt me when I survived an explosion even without it? Or that I'm not nimble enough to dodge that little chunk of bone if I wanted to?" All four friends seemed to wilt under his scorn. "Besides, why should you flip out when I say `it' to Kagome, when she says it to me all the time? You all know that what I'm saying is the truth." He paused and swiveled his ears. "You really don't want to do that, wench."

Kagome gasped. After climbing out of the hole, she had inched towards her bow and arrows where they sat by the fire. She had just wrapped her fingers around the bow when Inuyasha spoke. _How did he know? What can I do now?_

"Why doesn't she? You can do it Kagome! Purify him now!" Miroku called out.

"Keh." Inuyasha turned to face Kagome, locking his golden eyes onto her own dark ones. "First of all, your only way out of this freaking mirror is with Tessaiga and as I recall, I'm the only one who can use it, so I'm thinking you really don't want to shoot one of those stupid purity arrows at me, cause if it hit it would kill me. You don't really want to seal me either." Inuyasha snorted and jabbed a hand out behind him. He shredded the ofuda without looking at Miroku. "I told you, Monk, that won't work."

"Inuyasha?"

_The pain in her voice broke his heart. More than ever Inuyasha fought against the power that controlled him. He tried shutting out the voice that dredged up past hurts and demanded payment for them, demanded their pain for his. He tried closing out everything but Kagome, her voice, her scent, her standing there with her bow, uncertain. He looked into her eyes and fought. "Do it… Ka-gome… shoot me."_

"Ohhh?"

_"Stupid hanyou" the voice was back, controlling his body and his voice. "I can read your memories; your Miko could never shoot you." Damn it. Inuyasha fought harder, but the control didn't waver again._

"Inuyasha? Was that you?" Kagome dared ask. When he spoke, forcing out every word, she could have sworn it really was Inuyasha speaking, until he frowned and said "stupid hanyou." The shadow had again consumed those golden eyes and the arrogant smirk had returned.

"Of course it's me; I just finally decided to speak my mind."

_I can't purify him, there's something controlling Inuyasha, but it's still him, deep down. I can see it in his eyes. How can I hurt Inuyasha?_ She dropped her bow and took a few, hesitant steps towards him. "I can't… Inuyasha… please, wake up!"

"Keh." Inuyasha sprang up into the trees. She heard branches swishing off into the distance. _I have to get away from them, before they attack and I hurt one of them by accident._

"Kagome!" Sango ran up to her friend as the girl sank to her knees by the fire. "Kagome, are you ok?" Miroku and Shippo sat next to her

"It's not Inuyasha." She said, her voice oddly disjointed. "Something is controlling him, just like with that evil priestess's curse. I saw it in his eyes; he's fighting it, trying not to hurt us. I think that's why he left." _Inuyasha._

"Hmmm, it must be powerful, to control one as strong as Inuyasha." Miroku leaned against a tree, "Who besides Naraku has that much power?"

"I don't know." Sango admitted. "It could be him, but this just felt different."

"I don't think he'll come back tonight, I think he's afraid of hurting us." Kagome whispered, staring at the flames. _Inuyasha, please, come back soon. We'll find a way to fix this. Together._

"I'll watch out tonight, you all should get some sleep." Miroku commented, propping his Shakuju against the tree.

Sango nodded and dragged Kagome away from the fire and to her bedroll. Shippo curled up with Kagome and she waited, holding the kit as he slept, waiting for Inuyasha to come back.


	8. VIII - Answers to Unvoiced Questions

Inuyasha watched from above as Kagome curled in her bag with the kit. She was still awake; he could smell her anxiety clearly, her worry, her confusion. _Kagome._ Heart pounding, he leapt off before he could hurt her again. Sitting in the branches of a huge elm, he replayed the day's events in his mind. Something about Kanna's mirror must have been responsible. _Its like Miroku thought, certain parts of us were switched around, but why? What does Naraku have to gain from all this?_

You still haven't figured it out yet Hanyou? The musical voice taunted him. _I never though your companions were right every time they called you an immature baka, but you do seem a bit slow…_

Inuyasha growled and swiped his claws at the tree branch, imagining his invisible foe writhing on the bark. The voice wasn't bothering to control his actions at the moment, but Inuyasha could feel it probing his memories. _You know you could come up with something more original to say, instead of "Hanyou" or "baka."_

Hmm? The voice seemed preoccupied. _Now look what you did! I had just found something interesting…_

Inuyasha winced as he saw again Kagome sitting there, looking up at him with those huge brown eyes, her hurt so strong he thought he could grab it if he tried. His friends ranged together, ready to fight him. Kagome with her arrows. _Wait. You said…_ he fished again for the memory, _you told Kagome that her purity arrow would kill me. But they can't hurt me; they just turn me human, like the barrier on Mt. Hakureizan did. It's only temporary. You knew that. You saw it in my mind. Why did you lie to Kagome?_

Do you think I wanted you in your non-violent human form?

So what do you want?

It's not about what I want, it's what Naraku wants.

Feh. I knew you were working for that evil bas-

Hah! I found it! The voice silenced him. _Now pay attention. Tomorrow you will lead the humans northward, where a wonderful surprise will be waiting for them. And then you will stand by and watch you friends die. Doesn't that sound like fun?_

Why you evil twisted bast-

Temper temper. Your Miko is right; you really should try to watch your language and control your temper.

Get out of my head!!! Without thinking about it, Inuyasha drew Tessaiga, the transformed fang gleaming in the dim moonlight.

_You think you can reach me with that? I'm miles away, baka!_

Inuyasha growled and sheathed the sword. _I don't care. I will make you pay, somehow._

Save your delusions of grandeur for later, Hanyou. For now, rest. I want you awake tomorrow when you watch your friends die.


	9. IX - Relenting

Shippo curled up with Kagome and she waited, holding the kit as he slept, waiting for Inuyasha to come back. Kagome watched the stars trek across the night sky, the tiny sliver of moon, the pink streaks of light, the sun… she looked around. Morning had come as she waited for Inuyasha. Miroku appeared to be meditating and Sango, Kirara and Shippo were still asleep. Careful not to disturb the kit, Kagome rose and stoked the fire, pulling a cup of ramen out of her bag without realizing it. She stared at the cup, her hand shaking.

"We'll find a way to stop him Kagome." Miroku spoke softly, taking the ramen from her shaking hand and returning it to the bag. "Whoever is doing this to Inuyahsa, we'll stop him."

"Yes." Kagome tried to brighten up, "Of course we will. Inuyasha would do the same for us. We can't give up on him." She busied herself making breakfast, cheerfully greeting Sango and the others as they rose, but inside, thoughts from the long restless night still plagued her. _That look in his eyes as he stood over her, so different from the cold voice that even now sent shivers down her spine. The jerking sensation in her stomach as she was pounded over and over into the ground, overwhelmed by Inuyasha's yells._ She winced as she moved sore and bruised muscles. _That haunted look and his strained voice as he asked her to shoot him. Is this how he felt when I was cursed by Tsubaki? When I faced him and tried to kill him?_

The sound of a slap brought her out of her reverie. Sango was pouting and rubbing one cheek. It seemed that she really was unable to stop the lecher inside her that had been freed when they went though Kanna's mirror. And Miroku must have gotten her shyness somehow, because he didn't seem to be enjoying her attention at all.

"Heh." Kagome whirled to see Inuyasha leaning against a tree, the rising sun hovering just above his head. "Like I said, another freaking lecher."

_Inuyasha!_ Before Kagome could rise and run to him, Shippo launched himself from her bedroll and landed on the hanyou's shoulder. "Inuyasha! Where've you been?"

He shoved the kit off, "Beat it runt."

Shippo jumped up and ran into Kagome's arms. "Inuyasha?" she could barely keep the waver out of her voice as she struggled not to cry.

"Yeah, wench?" As he walked towards her and away from the sun's glare, Kagome could see that his eyes were still blank and haunted.

_He's still being controlled by whatever it is. He's not free yet. Oh Inuyasha!_ "Are… are you alright?"

"Feh."

"So where were you?" Shippo asked again.

"I found a way out of this whole freaking mess." Inuyasha stared northwards. "Let's go."

"But we just started making breakfast." Miroku protested.

"And we need to break down camp." Sango added.

"Heh. Fine." Inuyasha hopped to a branch high above their heads and closed his eyes.

They ate and cleaned in record time, a sad silence filling the air. The sun was only halfway up the sky when Kagome approached the tree. "Inuyasha? We're ready to go." Sango and Miroku were both riding a transformed Kirara, and Shippo waited on Kagome's shoulder.

Inuyasha opened his eyes and jumped down, landing next to the girl. "So let's go." He took off running.

"Waaaiiittt!" Shippo yelled. The hanyou skidded to a halt.

"Yeah?"

"What about Kagome and me? You usually carry us. Come back!"

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and he feigned a look of boredom. "Noooooo, I don't think I will."

"What?" Three voices cried. Kagome still said nothing, a hurt look on her face.

"I'm not a pack mule. You've each got two legs. Use `em." With that the inu-hanyou turned and began walking away.

"Here, Kagome, take my place." Miroku slid off the cat-demon. "I can carry Shippo and still run fairly fast." The kit leapt to his shoulder, muttering about the vanishing hanyou, as Sango pulled Kagome up behind her.

Kagome said nothing as the friends raced after the running figure. Thought flew through her head in a mad turmoil. _Inuyasha. Who is doing this to you? Who is forcing you to be so cruel? And where are we going?"_


	10. X - A Very Long Day

"Can we go now?" The disgruntled hanyou asked. He had managed to stop for a lunch break when the sun reached its pinnacle. _I have to find a way to slow down, to keep them safe until I can fight out of this. Damn it!_

"Oi! Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha cursed as a small tornado spun to a stop in front of him. Instinctively he pushed Kagome behind him. She frowned as Kouga reached for Inuyasha's hands. "Human-Harlot! You're here! You still hanging out with humans, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha reddened and backed away from the wolf youkai, drawing Tessaiga. "Beat it, wimpy wolf, and take your hentai mind with you."

"Oi! Get away from him!" before the others could react, Kouga had bridged the distance between him and the hanyou and slapped Sango. She froze, twitching hand still extended towards Inuyasha. "Back off human, he's mine!"

"WHAT?" Kagome and Inuyasha both exploded.

"SO dead!" The hanyou continued, winds whipping around Tessauga.

"Wait, can we just talk for a moment?"

"No! KAZE NO KIZU!"

The wolf-youkai jumped, landing near Sango and Miroku, who had moved to stand beside the exterminator. "Can't attack me now, you'll hit the humans."

"Like I care!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome found her voice again.

He sighed. "Fine. What do you want to say?"

"Just that-" a crack rang out. Sango pouted, removing her hand from Kouga's rear to rub her newest handprint. "Hands off, filthy mortal lecher! Inuyasha, I'll be back for you when you dump the riffraff." With that he smiled cheekily and dashed off.

"So so so very dead." Inuyasha put away his sword and glanced at the sun. C'mon lazy humans. It's after noon. We have a very long day ahead of us." Without another word he sprinted off.

_Dang it! Why couldn't that have taken longer? I need to find another way to kill time. I need to slow us down until the sun can set…"_


	11. XI - Grief For Past Grievances

They were resting again as Inuyasha paced, glaring at the sun and willing it to sink faster. _C'mon, set already! I won't lead them to Naraku!"_

Kagome's quiet voice broke through his agonizing. "I'm just so worried about him. Inuyasha is normally so strong. I'm afraid of what will happen to him if he can't fight this thing."

_Kagome. Even after all I put her through yesterday, she still believes in me._

Just wait, hanyou, that belief will wilt faster than summer flowers. The only way to keep her is to take her by force. They will never stop hurting you until you do something about it.

"Inuyasha?" Shippo was also trying to keep his voice down. "Don't worry about what will happen to him, worry about us. I still think he is just pretending to be all possessed so he can make us suffer."

_Are you going to let them talk about you like that?_

Mentally he shrugged. _Yeah. They always do. I don't care._

Ah, but you do, I can tell. And now you will tell them, too. The foreign power took a stronger hold and turned him towards the stream where the others were relaxing.

"Do you really think Inuyasha would do that?" Sango asked.

"Yeah, he's probably up in some tree laughing himself sick right now. I mean, I'm not sure if he is smart enough to pull that off, but it does sound like the sort of thing he'd do. It's just so petty"

Inuyasha's feet stepped forward unwillingly; sneaking up behind the humans. Kirara and Sango sat by Kagome's side, the handprint on the girl's cheek an indication that Kagome had had to place herself between them, probably to save the Monk. On her other side, Miroku had followed the girls' examples and was dangling his feet in the water. Shippo, lying on his stomach between them, was staring into the water as he spoke.

In one swift move Inuyasha had grabbed the kit by the tail and held him upside down, their noses almost touching. His voice spoke, unbidden feelings pouring forth with a low growl. "Not smart enough, eh runt?"

The others whirled around as the Kitsune squealed and covered his head with his paws, fully expecting to be thumped. "That's not what I meant!" Inuyasha glared. "No, really, I just meant that… uh, that you… you just act sort of weird sometimes… like around Sesshomaru and stuff… and you, errr… you're just really childish sometimes!"

"Well let's think about that for a moment, shall we?" Inuyasha flinched inwardly at the menace in his own voice. "How old are you runt?" He asked, dropping the child into Kagome's lap and sitting before her. None of the others dared to speak as he waited for the answer.

"About 10 in human years."

"And when did your mother die?"

"W-when I was 6."

"And your father?"

"Last y-year."

"So you had both parents until you were 6, one parent until you were 9, and Kagome and I and everyone taking care of you for the past year? Right?" Inuyasha hated himself for the hurt he saw in the kit's eyes, but that damn voice kept speaking through him. "So you were only ever alone for maybe a month, at most, before you met Kagome and me?"

Shippo nodded, tears in his eyes. Kagome gasped, she must have realized what was coming.

"And you are allowed to be happy and carefree and childish. You can steal my stuff or insult me, and then run to Kagome to protect you. You can take on her form when she is gone, just to be a brat and torment me. You can do all that, act like a child every day, because you are still in your own little bubble of a world. No one tells you to grow up."

The kit didn't even nod; just bit his lip harder in an effort not to cry. Inuyasha winced again at the small trickle of blood flowing down the child's chin.

"Now I'm 16. My father died when I was born. He died to save my _human_ Mother and my worthless hide, as my older brother and only living relative keeps reminding me, when he isn't trying to kill me. My mother was killed when I was 6, and I was on my own from that day until I was 15, at which point I was pinned to a tree by the woman I thought I loved."

Kagome let out a strangled sort of sob, but he ignored her.

"Now I have to try to find and kill Naraku for all the harm he has done to the people I care about, all the while protecting Kagome from that woman I believed I loved, whom I am also still sworn to protect, even though she is trying to kill me and the girl I actually do love." Inside, Inuyasha squirmed at admitting so much of what he had spent years hiding. "I have a wolf trying to steal Kagome from me and you and the monk constantly pounding on me and rubbing my face in everything. And if I ever try to retaliate, _she_ osuwari's me into a crater 10 feet deep. Have I left anything out?"

Shippo couldn't move, he just stared at Inuyasha, shocked and bewildered. Inuyasha's voice turned even calmer and colder as he stared the child straight in the eyes. _No, please, don't do it!_

"I didn't get a childhood like yours. I didn't get to live all those years thinking that everything would be ok in the end, that I would always be protected by people who loved me. And do you know why? Because the world is not that wonderful bubble you think it is. The world is full of evil people, and sometimes they outnumber and overpower the good people. People die, and sometimes there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. There is no one to help you. And in the end, everyone dies. There is no happy ending."

_Damn you, damn you, damn you! You and Naraku both!_ Inuyasha's heart broke at the horrified look in Kagome's eyes and the silent tears coursing down Shippo's cheeks.

"Now, how is it that you, only 6 years younger than me, who has spent his whole life protected by people who loved him, who get hurt to protect him, have the right to judge me, to call me childish and stupid?"

Rising, trying to drown out the sound of the kit's sobs and Kagome's choked crying, Inuyasha leapt into the tree above them. Closing his eyes, he let the tears fall silently, mourning the broken look in Shippo's eyes, the innocence and trust that _he_ had stolen, just as the world had stolen his.


	12. Chapter XII - A Last Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Evil Authoress Action Ahead!

Closing his eyes, he let the tears fall silently, mourning the broken look in Shippo's eyes, the innocence and trust that _he_ had stolen, just as the world had stolen his. The tears finally stopped and, unbidden, visions swirled in his head, causing the hanyou to whine low in his throat.

Naraku, tired of waiting, was attacking their camp as the sun rose. Inuyasha tried to leap down and help the others, but the force holding him in place was too great.

"Inuyasha! Help!" Kagome screamed in fear as she dodged the waving tentacles.

_Kagome._ Inuyasha tried in vain to move, to call out to her, to help her. At last the voice spoke. "Feh."

Inuyasha didn't think Kagome could have more hurt emanating from her, but when the voice spoke, he was overwhelmed in her sorrow and pain. _Kagome! KAGOME!!!_ He futilely screamed over and over, but no sound came out.

He was forced to watch as the others battled Naraku and his minions. A tall girl with pale pink eyes that he didn't recognize stood with Kohaku and Kanna by Naraku's side. So far neither of them had moved as Sango and Miroku fought the hoard of snake-shaped youkai Naraku had brought with him. The presence of the poison bees had hampered the Monk, but he still fought with his staff.

At first Inuyasha didn't understand what Shippo and Kagome were doing. After getting out of reach of Naraku's tentacles, Kagome was readying her arrows, the Kitsune protecting her. But when she shot, it was not at Naraku, but harmlessly up into the air. It vaporized a few bee youkai before falling to the ground, useless. She did the same thing again, her second arrow landing near her first.

When she shot again, understanding coursed through Inuyasha. She _was trying_ to kill the bees. Knowing that Inuyasha would not fight, Miroku's Kazaana was the group's next best bet. Kagome was trying to take out the bees without being noticed, so that the monk would be free to use his greatest weapon.

As comprehension dawned on Iuyasha, it struck the voice controlling him as well. _Now be a good boy and stay here. I have something to discus with Naraku._

Inuyasha saw a small frog youkai, vaguely resembling Jaken, hop out of the bushes on the far side of the camp. He jumped onto Naraku's shoulder and began talking to the monster. As the toad spoke, Inuyasha felt its hold over him weaken, as though the youkai could not fully concentrate on both. By struggling as hard as he could, he managed to speak.

"KAGOME!" she whirled to face him, "The… toad… hit…" _Please understand._ The control was back with a vengeance. The toad, still sitting on Naraku's shoulder, was glaring at the hanyou. _You! How dare you! I am not a toad! You and your Miko will pay for that!_ It clumsily leapt to the ground and towards the bushes from which it had emerged. Kagome's arrow stopped it, however, as she correctly interpreted the hanyou's strained message.

_What? NOOO!_ The toad disintegrated into a million pink sparkles of Kagome's purifying energy. With a roar, Inuyasha leapt from the tree, free of the power that had been controlling him. Fangs bared, eyes a blazing scarlet gold, he drew Tessaiga. "NARAKU!!!"

The rest of the fight was a blur as the two hanyous met in a furious battle.

-*-

"KAZE NO KIZU!" Inuyasha slammed the blade of Tessaiga into the churned up earth. Naraku screamed as the light hit him, finally killing the evil youkai. As the smoke cleared, Inuyasha heard a strangled cry. Whirling, he saw Miroku staring at his hand in terror. In one last act of vengeance, Naraku had inflamed the Kazaana, and it was now fighting to break through the cloth wrapped around the monk's hand.

Inuyasha moved towards his friend, but he stopped at Miroku's hoarse yell. "Don't! It, it will engulf you too. Get the others out of here!"

"Miroku…" Inuyasha blinked as they locked eyes. He could see it in the Monk's glare. This is what he had been dreading all his life, what he had fought to make into a blessing. And now Inuyasha's friend would die in the same way his father and grandfather had. He accepted it.

"Houshi-Sama!" Sango unsteadily rose to her feet, leaning heavily on a piece of the shattered Hiraikotsu, Kohaku lying still at her feet. She had been holding him as he died; his memories restored, his free will returned in his last minutes. Now, somehow, she threw herself at the monk, gripping him tightly around the waist. "No, not without me."

"But Sango-"

"NO! If you leave me… I'll have… nothing. You can't leave me like that! You can't leave me alone!" She clung to him with all her waning strength.

"Sango…" Miroku looked at her face and apparently decided something. "Inuyasha! Get Shippo and Kagome to safety! Tell them- tell them I am sorry… I didn't get to say goodbye…" the monk leaned down and sweetly kissed Sango for the first time. Their lips locking in a fiery passion long denied. With a howling roar, the Kazaana burst free of the beaded seal and engulfed the lovers in a tunnel of wind.

Inuyasha had just enough time to grab Shippo and the unconscious Kagome as he raced the winds through the forest. At last he was able to set the others down in a small clearing. Shippo, ignoring the blood running down his forehead, hovered by Kagome's side as Inuyasha checked her for signs of life

A long cut in her side bled sluggishly. The pink-eyed girl was another Kagura that Naraku had created, this one with no aversion to serving him. One of her wind blades had hit Kagome as she tried to help Shippo avoid Kohaku's sickle. Kanna had snuck up behind Inuyasha at one point, and when he dodged Naraku's blast, she had redirected it at the Miko. Inuyasha hadn't gotten to her in time, and she had lain unconscious for the rest of the fight.

"Shippo, go… go get some water." Inuyasha could barely speak as he stared at the slight rise and fall of Kagome's chest. He barely sensed the child leaving as he held a vigil for the girl he loved. Her eyelids fluttered open and he blinked to clear the tears of relief threatening to overwhelm him. She looked at him in confusion for a minute, as though she wasn't sure who he was.

"Inu-yasha?" She finally gasped out.

With a sob he reached for her, held her to his chest, trying to ignore his pain as the tears won and began to fall into her hair. "Kagome!"

"Why… why didn't you come?" Her voice, so full of hurt and betrayal, trailed off.

He had failed her. He stared down at the dark-haired beauty, willing her chest to move again, willing her to come back to him. "No. NO! KAGOME!!!" His broken cry ripped through the air. As night fell, he sat there, clutching her lifeless body, crying tears he hadn't cried since his mother's death. "Come… back… Ka-gome. He could barely speak the words he had waited so long, too long, to say. "I… lo-love… you."


	13. XIII - Exploited Memories

He had failed her. He stared down at the dark-haired beauty, willing her chest to move again, willing her to come back to him. "No. NO! KAGOME!!!" His broken cry ripped through the air. As night fell, he sat there, clutching her lifeless body, crying tears he hadn't cried since his mother's death. "Come… back… Ka-gome. He could barely speak the words he had waited so long, too long, to say. "I… lo-love… you."

-*-

Inuyasha was back on the tree, tears still pouring onto his haori, palms bleeding from where he had dug his claws into his own fists. _No! Kagome! Damn you!!! What was that?_

That was a possible future. There are others. Your Miko could die and you may not even get to defeat Naraku.

-*-

_It was the same as the last time, with Naraku attacking the camp at dawn and Inuyasha stuck in the tree, helpless. This time, however, his minions started attacking immediately, alongside the nameless youkai hoards. Kohaku rained blows down on his sister, who still seemed unwilling, no, unable to hurt the boy. Miroku was attempting to kill wave after wave of youkai with just his staff, as the presence of poison bees had rendered his Kazaana useless._

The pink-eyed girl, Kazakuma, Naraku had called her, was shooting wind blades at Kagome and Shippo. Shippo was unable to dodge one, and Kagome ran to his side as he fell.

"NO!!!" Inuyasha wrenched his eyes off of Kagome to see Miroku sprinting towards a fallen Sango. "NO! Sango!" He cradled her head in is arms, oblivious to the flying sickle heading towards him.

Kagome's whimper instantly drew his attention back to her. Kazakuma was advancing on the girl where she stood, holding an ashen kit in her arms. "Prepare to die girl!" Her voice was like Kagura's, but more childish.

"No." Kagome raised her head, eyes glistening, voice flat. Inuyasha felt the anger radiating off of her. If he had been on the receiving end of that glare, he would have been scared. Very scared. Kagome shifted the kitsune to her shoulder and then selected an arrow. "You cannot kill me as long as I have my friends with me. I will protect them as they have always protected me."

"Your friends are dying, girl. Look around you." A blade of wind whipped at Kagome, who rolled to the side. She wasn't fast enough and the blade nicked her side. Inuyasha winced as Kagome felt her wound, blood staining her fingers.

"Keh." Did she just say…_ Inuyasha didn't finish his incredulous thought as Kagome whipped the blood off her fingers and onto… her arrow? Finally Inuyasha understood. Didn't he use the same tactic with his blades of blood? Kagome fired at Naraku. "GO!!! HIT HIM!!!" She cried as another swipe of the fan ended her life. It looked as though the arrow might actually hit him, but Kanna stepped into its path. The arrow hit her mirror, cracking it._

Naraku chuckled. "Well, your friends are now all dead." Inuyasha didn't remember seeing Miroku fall, but he couldn't tear his eyes off of Kagome's still form to check. "But never fear, you will see them soon enough." He rose high into the sky, followed by Hakudoshi, blood still dripping from his blade. Kanna fell where she stood, her mirror dropping from lifeless fingers to reveal the hole that Kagome's arrow had punched though her.

Kagome stirred. She was alive!!! He heard the others stirring as well. Silently they rose, hovering a foot off the ground. Kazakuma laughed cruelly. "Watch my dance of the dead first hand, hanyou!" she cried as his friends' bodies advanced on him. Kagome and Shippo, sliced by the blades, Sango and Miroku with sickle wounds, Kohaku and Kirara, both with gashes that appeared to be Hakudoshi's handiwork.

For the first time, Inuyasha fled the fight, unable to hurt his dead friends.

-*-

Tears were again coursing down the hanyou's cheeks as his vision cleared. "Damn… you…" A trickle of blood ran down his chin from where his fang had bitten though his lip.

_You see? I told you, this is my power, to manipulate your future. Either of the scenes I just showed you could come true. Now you see the full might of my power, a power I can give you. I can take away everyone you have ever loved, or make all your deepest desires come true. There are other possible futures, ones that perhaps you would prefer._ The voice trailed off as a new image rose in the hanyou's mind.

-*-

_Sesshoumaru stepped out of the forest. "Baka! Are you ready to give up Tessaiga now?"_

"You wish." Inuyasha pulled out the sword in question. It transformed instantly, shining in the sunlight. It pulsed once, to be answered by a pulse from Tenseiga.

Sesshoumaru looked at his sword in surprise and then nodded at his younger brother. "You have earned father's fang. Use it well, brother." He actually smiled at the hanyou before turning and sweeping off into the forest.

-*-

Inuyasha was still trying to banish from his mind the images of Kogome in his arms, dying because he had failed her, her lifeless body flying though the air at him, but he could easily muster scorn for this latest scene. "Keh. Like that would ever happen."

_But you want it to, don't you?_

"Feh."

_You can lie to those around you, but I can see your heart._

-*-

_"Inuyasha, can we talk?" Kagome asked. Even in the darkness, he could see her blush; her cheeks redder than his haori. The worry and timidness in her eyes caught Inuyasha off guard and he stiffened._

"Um, o… ok." They had just sat down in a small clearing in the forest when a bright ball of light flew past his head. It stopped and hovered at the edge of the clearing.

"Is that- ?"

"Kikyou."

"Go for it Inuyasha. You need to talk to her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, go to her."

Looking at her doubtfully, he rose and ran after the soul stealer. Kikyou was waiting by Goshinboku, watching her Shini-dama-chuu turning swirling through the high branches.

"Kikyou."

"Inuyasha." She turned to face him, tears in her eyes contradicting her oddly calm smile. "Inuyasha. I understand now."

"Huh?"

"You have risked your life for me more times than I can count. You have more than repaid whatever debt you might think you owe me. She needs you more." She nodded to Kagome, who had followed him of course. "You deserve each other. Be happy together… Good luck Inuyasha… Kagome."

Before he could think of some way to respond to her odd behavior and words, Kikyou had disappeared behind the God Tree, soul stealers in tow. "Inuyasha?" Kagome sounded worried again, but… just a little bit… hopeful?

-*-

"Kikyou would never act like that." Inuyasha was nevertheless bothered by what he had just seen. "You can't have been paying attention when you broke into my mind, or you would know better. You can't just rummage though my memories like that and expect me to do your bidding! You can't just exploit my mind like that."

_Oh can't I?_

-*-

_Kouga whirled up. "Oi! Kagome! Come with me and be my mate! Hey baka, still following the Miko around like a pathetic little puppy?"_

"Stop calling Inuyasha a baka!" Kagome ran up behind the hanyou and slipped her arms around his neck from behind. He could feel her brushing against him and a tingle shot through his spine. "You always insult him, just shut up for once!"

Kouga appeared to be considering whether or not to grab Kagome anyways. "Come on, Kagome, either come with me or stay with the immature little baka."

"Fine!" With that, Kagome let go of Inuyasha's shoulder and walked around him. Before he could move to grab her, she had turned her back on the wolf and kissed Inuyasha square on the lips. With an explosion of emotion, Inuyasha leaned into her, heat rushing to his face. After what seemed like forever, but not nearly long enough, Kagome pulled away and turned around, leaning against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her possessively and she smiled up at him, eyes glistening brightly, before turning back to glare at the wolf. "Now stop chasing me, BAKA."

-*-

The vision disappeared with a swiftness that left Inuyasha gasping. It had felt so real, to hold Kagome in his arms… so real and just… so right.

_You do want that future, don't you? Deep in your heart, that is what you crave most. The love of the Miko. I can make it happen, you know. Surely that future is preferable to the first one? The voice chuckled cruelly as Inuyasha whined, remembering. You know you want it. You want to get even, to get your vengeance against all of them. To get their respect, the love of the Miko, to get everything you ever wanted. I can give it to you. Just accept me into your mind._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Peeks out from behind her Beta* See! They aren't dead! It was all just a trick by Naraku's minion! Now, please put away the pitchforks.
> 
> By the way, Kazakuma means "Wind devil" And yes, I think Kagura's eyes were only pink when she was younger.


	14. XIV - Humanity

_Now you see my power, a power I can give you, to make all your deepest desires come true. You know you want it. You want to get even, to get your vengeance against all of them. I can give it to you. Just accept me into your mind._

To have respect, to have freedom, to have Kagome… The image of Kagome dying in his arms haunted the hanyou. _To be able to protect her._ A new image flashed through his mind, the sight of Shippo, sitting in Kagome's lap, tears filling his eyes as he tried not to cry because Inuyasha had told him so often that guys didn't cry. He had to protect her from himself first. _No!_ Leaping out of the tree, Inuyasha growled, _Stop it!_ "Get. Outa. My. HEAD!" Inuyasha roared into the night, startling gasps and looks of horror from his human companions.

He pulsed once. The claws he had spread in pain and anger receded as his fangs shrunk. He pulsed again, his hair shifting from silver to black, gold eyes pulsing red before fading to purple. The sun shot out one last beam of light before setting completely. It lit the young boy's eyes with a shining glory that blinded the others.

When the reluctant sun finally pulled away, Inuyasha stared at his companions with his purple eyes; pupils huge and full of a hurt so deep just looking at it brought Kagome to tears. That blankness that had haunted his expression was gone, replaced by sorrow, hate, self-loathing, and… fear? "Inuyasha?"

He flinched at her question and hung his head, coal-black bangs covering his eyes. "Ka-gome… I- I'm so sorry. I failed."

"Inuyasha!" In one swift movement she had leapt to her feet, dropping the Kitsune, and was now wrapped around his chest, crying into his haori. "I- I was so af-f-fraid for y-you!" She choked out. "You ha-haven't f-failed me, we, we failed y-you. We di-didn't, we c-couldn't, help y-you. Are, are you r-really alright now? Is th-that… thing gone?"

"Ka-gome." Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome, holding her as tight as he dared. He buried his nose in her hair, biting his lip to keep from howling or crying, he wasn't even sure which. _She, she was worried about me? She doesn't hate me… for what I did to her, to Shippo? How can she not hate me? I even hate me!_ For once, the mocking voice didn't reply.

Inuyasha stared down in wonder at this girl, this human girl who had never lost her faith in him, her trust. _Why, Kagome?_ She was crying for him? _I will never fail you again. That future will never happen. I swear it. I'll always keep you safe. No matter what it takes._ He felt something small and furry barrel into his leg, but he ignored it, lost in his thoughts about the girl still locked onto him as though afraid to let go. He couldn't ignore it when two fangs punctured his leg. "What th- ?"

Releasing Kagome with one arm, he reached down. Before anyone could react and stop him from thumping the kit, he picked up the youngster by the collar, depositing him on Kagome's shoulder so they were at the same height. The fox-child kept his eyes down as Inuyasha forced out the words, "Hey… runt… no biting."

With a squeal Shippo launched himself at Inuyasha's neck, hugging the older demon with all his might. "I'm sorry Inuyasha!" Hot tears started pouring onto the hanyou's neck.

He awkwardly ruffled the child's hair, "I know… me too." Shippo wailed harder and gripped Inuyasha's dragon tails in his small fists. Kagome was dashing the tears out of her own eyes, nestled in the crook of Inuyasha's arm. "I wanted… I never… I never wanted you to know, to go through what I did growing up. I wanted you to stay with Kagome and just… be happy and… and free." He trailed off, unable to express the turmoil within him, the need to restore the bright smile and happy outlook on life that the kit had gained after Kagome took him in.

Kirara mewed and rubbed against Inuyasha's bleeding knee, trying to comfort him. _Wait, if Kirara…_ Pulling Kagome with him, Inuyasha turned to face Sango and Miroku, who were both standing beside the fire, watching the scene with unreadable expressions. Eyes again downcast, Inuyasha shifted nervously before speaking. "Uh, Sango? Miroku? I know I didn't exactly actually hurt you two," _Though it was probably only a matter of time,_ "but, um, I'm sorry."

Sango slowly walked towards him, stopping a few feet away. "Inuyasha-sama?" He raised his head to look at her face to face. She looked into his eyes for a long moment before she nodded; face breaking into her easy smile. "Its ok, Inuyasha-sama. I know you didn't want to hurt us."

"That's right," Miroku came to stand beside the exterminator, arms folded across his chest. "You've always stood by us and helped us and we've never even thanked you for it. What kind of friends would we be if we turned our backs on you now, especially when you couldn't control what was happening?"

Ears still ringing from being called "Sama," Inuyasha stared at his friends. _They all forgive me? But… why?_ Inuyasha expected to hear the mocking little voice again, but his mind was remarkable clear, blessedly silent, as though he was the only one inside his own head. The voice was gone, and with it that intolerable music he had been hearing since they had arrived in this weird place. Every noise was dimmed. _Oh yeah, my human ears… wait!_ "My ears…"


	15. XV - Hear No Evil…

_They all forgive me? But… why?_ Inuyasha expected to hear the mocking little voice again, but his mind was remarkably clear, blessedly silent, as though he was the only one inside his own head. The voice was gone, and with it that intolerable music he had been hearing since they had arrived in this weird place. Every noise was dimmed. _Oh yeah, my human ears… wait!_ "My ears…"

Kagome looked up at him, eyes puzzled. "Your ears?" She repeated.

"Yeah, I can't hear that music anymore, or the voice that was controlling me. I think it's because my ears are human now. Remember, none of you could hear the music before."

"That's right!" Kagome exclaimed. "Dogs can hear pitches that humans can't!"

"The same must apply to Inu-youkai." Miroku surmised. "We have seen Inuyasha's remarkable ears in action before, it would be perfectly logical to assume that as a hanyou he can hear pitches and noises that he cannot hear as a human."

"So as long as he is human, that… thing… it can't control him?" Shippo asked, finally releasing his death grip on Inuyasha's dragon tails and climbing onto his shoulder to inspect the ears in question.

"I believe so." Miroku crossed his arms across his chest. "That would account for his behavior now."

"You know, I can still hear you, even if I do have human ears." Inuyasha muttered as he sat down. The others winced as they remembered him saying almost the same thing while possessed. Kagome sank to her knees by his side.

"Sorry, Inuyasha-sama." Sango muttered, face red.

_Wait, did I just say that out loud?_ "It's ok… I just meant… keh." Kagome leaned against him and he couldn't hold back the small sigh that escaped him.

"OK, we have to find a way out of here." Kagome's voice became brisk. "Inuyasha, you said before that you knew a way out?"

He screwed up his face in concentration. _Yeah, it was for all of you to be killed by Naraku. I **won't** let that happen._ "I think it has something to do with finding Naraku in this world. We may also need to find that toad thing."

"Toad thing?" Kagome asked. "Like Jaken?"

"Yeah. Exactly like Jaken, only slightly greener."

"How do you know?"

_Uh oh. I can't tell them what I saw. I have to lie._ "Feh. I just know, ok wench?" Kagome didn't look like she believed him, but she didn't say anything.

"But how do we find him?" Miroku spoke up.

"Feh. How do you think? He was making me lead you north. North is where the sounds have been coming from. We go north and we get there before dawn, and then we can stop him." Rising, he extended his hand to Kagome. "Coming wench?"

She smiled brightly and climbed onto his back. He took off running, leaving the others behind as he humans climbed onto the large Kirara. Shippo and Kagome were whispering, but the wind his running created and his diminished senses left him unable to hear them. A growl on his right side announced the approach of the other three. Shippo stood up on Inuyasha's shoulder and leapt off as Kirara drew up next to the hanyou, landing neatly on the large cat's neck.

With a grunt of effort, Inuyasha sped up, pulling ahead again. To his surprise, the others didn't try to match his pace. Kagome tightened her grip on Inuyasha's shoulders as his speed increased, resting her cheek against his shoulder blade. _You don't know much I wanted you with me like this today, Kagome._

"Inuyasha?" her voice was hesitant and soft. "I'm sorry for what you went through growing up." He could hear the waver in her voice as she held back tears. _Kagome?_ "I sort of guessed a little, but I never realized that your life had been so hard and painful. I'm so sorry."

"Feh." He managed to mutter. He heard her soft sob and felt a dampness on his neck. _She's crying again? Why?_ "Ka-gome. Please, please stop crying. Is this about what I said before?" Her only answer was to cry harder. Bordering on panic, the hanyou paused and faced the girl. "What did I do wrong? Why are you crying?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, I just feel so bad for you."

_What?_ "You feel bad for me? Why?"

"I just don't want to see you suffer, to see people hurting you. It makes me sad."

"Keh. I'll be fine." _That's why she's crying? I don't get it. Why would she care how badly people used to treat me? Because she's Kagome, it's what she does._ "Don't worry about it. I'm over it." She glared at him skeptically and sniffled. He winced inwardly at the sound. _Ok, time to lie._ "I'd forgotten about it until that stupid toad dredged through my memories."

"Really?"

"Of course. Why would I want to remember something like that?"

"Oh." She wiped her eyes with the cuff of her sleeve and sniffled once more before laying her cheek against his back again. "Either way, I'm sorry it happened."

"Feh. Get some rest, wench." She mumbled something he didn't catch before snuggling against his back. Inuyasha and Kirara ran like that through the night as the others dozed. Smiling contentedly, the boy ran easily, reveling for once in the quiet of the new moon.


	16. XVI - The Partial Transformation

Inuyasha and Kirara ran like that through the night as the others dozed. Smiling contentedly, the boy ran easily, reveling for once in the quiet of the new moon.

Slowly the sky lightened. About an hour before sunrise, Inuyasha stopped. Kirara landed beside him, the jolt awakening her sleeping passengers. "Are we there yet?" Shippo muttered sleepily.

"Huh?" Kagome woke at the sound of his voice. "Where are we?"

"Nowhere in particular, but we needed to stop." Inuyasha gently set her on her feet. "I've been trying, but in this form I can't locate it."

"The toad thing?" Sango asked.

"Yeah. The only way to find it is to let the sun rise, but…"

"But then you would be back under its control." Miroku finished when Inuyasha's voice died. "So how do you propose to turn back into a hanyou without letting it regain its control over you?"

"Kagome."

"Huh? How can I help?"

"Well you know how you kept my youkai blood in check when we were in the stone goblin's stomach?" She nodded. "Well this time, could, could you keep me from becoming a full hanyou?"

The confusion on her face was replaced by a wash of understanding, quickly replaced by determination and the look that meant she was up to something. Inuyasha might have laughed at how clearly he could read her thoughts on her face, but at the moment, his amusement was overshadowed by the tendrils of sun creeping over the horizon. "I think I can do that."

"At least you aren't wading in acid this time," Miroku quipped.

Kagome glowered at the monk. "Thanks ever so much for that reminder." Her feet had hurt for a month afterwards, and the doctors had said she was just lucky there was no permanent damage.

"It's almost time." Inuyasha interrupted their argument. Kagome moved next to him. With an easy yank she was on his back, her arms wrapped tightly around his chest. "Remember, I need to be able to transform Tessaiga, and I need to smell out that little bast-"

"Inu-yasha!"

"-toad." He finished meekly. The rest of Kagome's reprimand was cut off as the sun shot its first full ray over the horizon. Inuyasha pulsed once, his hair shifting to a sooty grey color. Kagome closed her eyes in concentration as both were bathed in the pink aura of her miko powers. Inuyasha's human ears started to disappear, then froze in place, tinted pink, as Kagome focused her energy on them. He pulsed again and his hair changed completely to silver. His youki crackled as the sun pulled itself into the sky.

The pink glow surrounding them faded, until it only surrounded Kagome's hands and Inuyasha's human ears. He drew Tessaiga with a loud scraping. The sword pulsed once, as though unsure, before transforming into the large fang in a whirl of winds and golden light. "I smell it!" Inuyasha exclaimed, his voice regaining the slightly more gravely tone it took on in his hanyou form. His human ears wiggled slightly in imitation of their normal searching swivel. "But I can't hear that music!"

"It worked." Kagome smiled weakly, eyes glistening brightly though her brow was furrowed in concentration.

"Let's go, we don't have much time." Inuyasha took off, again leaving the others behind. "Are you ok, Kagome?"

"I'll be fine. What about you?"

"Feh." He hurdled a small stream and entered a clearing in the forest. "I know you're there!" He called out to the seemingly empty bushes. "You can't hide from this nose, you little bast-" His words were cut off by a roar from behind as the others arrived. Sango's face bore a fresh red handprint and a scowl. "Sango, this is important and you're making another pass at Miroku?!?!" Inuyasha yelled in disbelief.

Her reply was cut off by a handful of pebbles hurtling out of one of the larger trees before them. The group easily dodged them, but a second volley of stones from a tree on their right caught Shippo and Miroku off guard. "What the- ? Two directions?" Miroku gasped, a small trickle of blood running down the side of his face.

"How many of these things are there?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha sniffed. "Only one, and it's not even that fast. It must have set up something in advan- behind you!" Pebbles rained down from behind, but thanks to the hanyou's warning everyone managed to avoid them. "See, it took it that long just to move from the side!" He gloated at his accurate prediction. "Come out and fight, you coward!"

Laughter Inuyasha knew well floated through the trees. "A coward, am I?" Asked the voice that had haunted the hanyou's mind. "We'll just see about that!"


	17. XVII - Star Wars 9: Revenge of the Kitsune

Laughter Inuyasha knew well floated through the trees. "A coward, am I?" Asked the voice that had haunted the hanyou's mind. "We'll just see about that!"

The branches rustled as the creature moved. Inuyasha tilted his head, tracking its movements with his powerful nose. "It's riiight… there." He pointed, shifting his grip on Tessaiga.

"Hiraikotsu!" The boomerang sailed through the branches of the tree and returned to Sango's hand.

"You missed me!" the toad taunted.

"Kitsune-bi!" Bluey-green foxfire shot past Inuyasha's head and into the trees. The branches where the toad had stood shook mightily. The rustling stopped and the clearing was silent for a moment.

Inuyasha almost believed that the kit's attack had hit its mark, except that he couldn't smell any blood. "Hey toad-boy! Come out and face me!"

"Kitsune-bi!"

"Inuyasha move!" Miroku warned.

The hanyou leapt to the side and the fireball just missed the sleeve of his fire-rat haori. The others turned to face the kitsune, who had jumped off the monk's shoulder and was standing a few feet before him. Shippo's hands were surrounded by glowing fire and his emerald eyes were blank.

"Shippo!" _Damn it! I let my guard down. I let that toad get to him. I failed him too._

An evil smile lit the child's face as he brushed his fiery red locks from his eyes. His voice was deeper, tighter, as strained as the older boy's had been the day before. "Inuyasha." He hurled another fireball, but Inuyasha easily dodged it. "You will not escape alive, hanyou! Your miko will waver and fail! And then you will be his again!"

Kagome gasped at the kit's words and tightened her grip on Inuyasha's shoulders. Inuyasha lunged towards the kit, intending to knock him out. "Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome cried.

He stopped mid-leap and landed oddly on the ground, rocking back onto his heals to keep his balance. The kit took advantage of his distraction and hurled another fireball, which Inuyasha dodged easily and avoided. "Why?"

"You can't hurt him, he's still Shippo."

"You think I don't know that?" _Why does she always assume that I'm completely clueless? Whenever I face humans or someone who is being controlled, why do they always insist on reminding me not to hurt them?_ "Keh."

Shippo had started running to put more distance between them, and Inuyasha lunged again as the youngster turned around. Inuyasha could almost see the toad looking back through the blank emerald eyes. _Shippo can't fight it, he's only a child. He's not strong enough, even if he is a youkai._ Too late, for he had just lunged again, Inuyasha saw the toad's presence fleeing from the boy. Gone were the evil expression and vacant eyes. A look of terror filled the child's face as he saw the older demon flying towards him.

_Shippo sitting in Kagome's lap, trying not to cry. A bleeding kit standing across from him, looking down at Kagome's still form. Two small fangs sinking into his knee. The child's body flying through the air, blood still dripping from numerous cuts. Shippo squeezing his neck in a fierce hug. Blank emerald eyes glowing in the light of the foxfire whipping around his hands._

Inuyasha almost faltered at the torrent of memories stirred by the youngster's fear. _No! I can't stop; I would just be failing him again! I have to do this, even if it hurts the real Shippo. It's better than having him be a slave to that toad._ Inuyasha continued forward until he was within striking distance of the child. Reaching out, he thumped the kit on the head, hard. Shippo crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Shippo!" Kagome cried and started to slide off Inuyasha's back. The pink light around his ears wavered.

"Stop!" He grabbed her. "He'll be fine. I only hit him hard enough to knock him out. I couldn't let that toad keep possessing him. He couldn't have fought it the way I did; he's just a child. This is better for him. But you have to stay with me. You have to keep my ears like this." Inuyasha took a deep breath. "I… I… _need_ you to keep helping me." There. He'd said it. He needed her.


	18. XVIII - Deja Vu

"But you have to stay with me. You have to keep my ears like this." Inuyasha took a deep breath. "I… I… _need_ you to keep helping me." There. He'd said it. He needed her. He waited in shame, expecting either her laughter or anger. He could picture the cute little face she would make, wrinkling her nose and snorting in disgust. Instead, he felt her tighten her grip on his shoulders.

"OK Inuyasha. I understand. I won't let go of you." He resettled her on his back automatically, mind still trying to absorb her reply.

_OK, she trusts me to do this. And I have to do it soon, to keep her from tiring herself out trying to keep me sane. When this is over, I'll find a way. I'll keep her safe without having to make her exhaust herself like this. Now, let's see how froggy likes my wind scar._ He still held Tessaiga, so he shifted his stance and raised it, bringing down the swirling blade and slamming it into the grass. "Kaze no KIZU!!"

His attack flew through the clearing, decimating the tree the toad had been hiding in. Smoke filled the clearing as everyone stared at the place, straining to see if the youkai had survived. Too late, through the smoke, Inuyasha saw rocks hurtling at them from the tree next to the one he had just blasted. He jumped to the side, but rocks still hit him in the stomach and leg. Another one struck Kagome's hand.

"Ow!" She shook her hand in pain, a drop of blood hitting Inuyasha's cheek. In that instant, her concentration slipped and the pink glow around the hanyou's ears disappeared. His human ears pulsed once and disappeared as well, only to reemerge seconds later atop his head, once again appearing as cute furry puppy ears. "No!"

Kagome tried to recapture his ears with her miko powers, but after using so much power earlier, she wasn't strong enough to untransform them. Inuyasha dragged her off his back and pulled her around to face him. He looked deep into her eyes, trying to tell her in that moment how sorry he was for what was about to happen. "Run, Kagome." He grabbed her arm and shoved her towards the others, who were staring at his ears with horror. "Run." His ears swiveled towards the tree and he turned to face his opponent. A growl began low in his throat.

Kagome ran to the fallen kit and picked him up, cradling the child in her arms. She ran back to the others and dumped the youngster in Sango's arms. "Take him. I've got to…" It was her fault, she had failed him. Inuyasha said he needed her to take care of his ears and she had failed. Just cause she'd been hit by a little rock. She shook her hand again before taking a few hesitant steps forward. "Inuyasha?" She watched him closely for any signs of the real Inuyasha, of the war she knew was raging within him.

Blank eyes met her searching ones.


	19. IXX - Korose

Blank eyes met her searching ones. _Please, Kagome, please just run. I don't want to hurt you._

Kill her. Kill the girl.

I won't.

You will. Lift that impressive sword of yours and attack the miko.

Never. I'll never hurt Kagome.

Inuyasha heard what sounded suspiciously like a sigh. _Must I do everything myself?_

Inuyasha felt his hands move, felt them tighten on Tessaiga. Now, while the creature was distracted, Inuyasha decided to test his idea. Deep in his mind, very softly, Inuyasha said something he knew the other youkai could not ignore. _"Stupid toad, you'll never beat me."_ There was no reply. Inuyasha felt a surge of hope but quickly capped it.

He had thought about the toad's visions throughout the night, and one thing kept catching his attention: that moment when the toad had been talking to Naraku. In the vision, Inuyasha had been able, at that moment, to speak freely, to think freely. Inuyasha suspected that the creature controlling him, in addition to being slow physically, was also limited mentally, and incapable of concentrating on two things at once.

That was why he had controlled the hanyou from a distance, to avoid interference. It explained why the toad had let him sit freely in the tree while it rifled through his memories. Why it didn't bother stopping his attack at the time. It couldn't control both his mind and his body at the same time unless it was only doing something simple.

And that was why it would fail now. With all its concentration focused on forcing Inuyasha to move unwillingly, it could not hear his thoughts. This was his chance. The toad was looking at Kagome, so very slowly, he shifted his head to catch Miroku's gaze. Very carefully, Inuyasha winked at the other boy.

A flash of surprise crossed the monk's face, but he quickly suppressed it. He glanced at the tree the frog was in and quirked one eyebrow. Inuyasha winked again. Miroku's eyes lit up with understanding and he gave the barest of nods.

Inuyasha's arms raised and he turned his attention back to Kagome. _No, please don't!!!_ he thought, clenching his teeth. Slowly his mouth opened as the other youkai's laughter filled his mind. "Kaze no Kizu!" A jet of light shot at the girl, but without Inuyasha's full conviction behind it the blast was slower and smaller than usual. Kagome froze at first, but managed to jump to the side at the last second.

"Feh. What makes you think you can escape me Wench?"

_Damn you!_ The sight of her in danger lent powerful anger to Inuyasha and he fought harder than ever. While the toad tried to control the hanyou's actions, Inuyasha allowed himself to glance at the others. The monk was edging towards Kagome, ready to help her when he could. He must have said something to Sango, because she was staying back, still holding Shippo.

Inwardly, Inuyasha was pleased. He had wiped out the tree three down from the one the toad had moved to. Now there were only four trees between the two gaps left from his attacks. The toad would quickly run out of places to hide, and then… Very deep inside his mind, Inuyasha smiled.

Then his arms rose again and the toad forced the words out of his uncooperative mouth, "Kaze no- no Kizu!" Kagome dodged to the side yet again. The tree next to the last one disappeared in a blinding flash of light and wind. _Stop it! Leave her alone!_ The tears forming in her eyes were too much for him. He struggled harder than ever, managing at last to speak. "K- Kago-me. Don't… cry…w-will be… alright."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note on the title. "Korose" is a command. It means "Kill [insert name here]" It is the exact same order Naraku always uses on Kohaku and the one Tsubaki used on Kagome when she was cursed. I just thought it was fitting. :P


	20. XX - Girls Love Diamonds

Then his arms rose again and the toad forced the words out of his uncooperative mouth, "Kaze no- no Kizu!" Kagome dodged to the side yet again. The tree next to the last one disappeared in a blinding flash of light and wind. _Stop it! Leave her alone!_ The tears forming in her eyes were too much for him. He struggled harder than ever, managing at last to speak. "K- Kago-me. Don't… cry…w-will be… alright."

_You think you can save her, hanyou? You are the one attacking her. You will never be able to save her; she will die by your hand! _The toad burst into laughter again.

_I will save her! I'll stop you… somehow._

Really? The other youkai had stopped laughing, but its inner voice was still full of amusement. He turned Inuyasha to face Kagome again. She had stopped crying at his words and was staring at him in open-mouthed shock. She also happened to be standing directly in front of the middle tree, the one the toad demon was hiding in.

Inuyasha struggled with its control as his mind worked quickly. Miroku was close enough to grab her. He probably would need to, as she seemed to be paralyzed now with shock. He caught the monk's eye and glanced at Kagome, then back. The monk nodded and crouched down, sneaking closer.

_Hmmm, let's show her your greatest power. Girls love diamonds; isn't that what your miko told you? Let her die surrounded by diamonds._

Slowly his arms lifted Tessaiga over his head. Inuyasha fought wildly as his mouth formed the word. "Kongousouha" He slammed the crystallized blade down as spear-shaped diamonds shot out towards the stunned girl. _NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!_ Inuyasha cried.

At the last second, Miroku leapt up and tackled Kagome, both humans falling to the side as the hanyou's blast sailed overhead. They jumped to their feet, ready for the next blast, but Inuyasha's attention was focused on the tree as his diamond spears hurtled towards it. They struck the tree, embedding in its trunk and branches. The whole tree shook and something fell from a high branch.

"Keh. Good riddance to bad music." Inuyasha was glaring at the spot where the toad had fallen, his eyes clear, the possession lifted.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome sank to her knees. "You kept attacking me just to hit him?"

"No!!" The hanyou sounded offended. "I go to all that trouble to save you and all you can say is… Feh!" He stomped into the underbrush to search for his fallen opponent.

"Where are you going?" Sango called, hurrying up to the others.

"Just cause he can't play that demented music doesn't mean he's dead." He caught a glimpse of Kagome's face before he reached the bushes. She was mad too. _Good. Maybe she'll go back trough the well and keep herself out of danger now.&lt;.i&gt; But he knew Kagome wouldn't do that. She would follow him like always. Truthfully, he admitted in a very small corner of his mind, he was glad she came after him every time. Even if she did get into more trouble than any other human he knew._

Picking his way through the diamonds embedded in the ground, Inuyasha finally found the toad demon. One of the spears was protruding from its belly and its eyes were glazing. Up close, it looked much older than Jaken, and much deader. "Heh. Pinned him." He found the pipe a few feet away. With a very satisfying crunch, it splintered under his foot. He turned and threaded his way between the spears and back to the clearing.

"…Inuyasha couldn't stop the attacks, but he could subtly aim them. He was able to signal me from the start, as he drove you closer to the frog demon's tree. He had to keep it distracted while he came closer and closer to hitting it, or it would have escaped. And judging by his current state, it's probably dead." Miroku was explaining things to the girls. _Good. He knows what to say to make them less mad. I'd just end up with a facefull of dirt._ "Besides. Didn't you notice, the kaze no kizu was much weaker than normal?"

"That's cause I didn't want to do it." Inuyasha stepped into the open space. "If I'd been trying it woulda been a lot bigger and badder." He stroked his sword with pride and reluctantly sheathed it.

"What happened to the toad?" Sango asked.

"Speared. His pipe is crunched and he is sporting a rather large hole in his stomach."

"Oh thank goodness." Kagome rose and ran to the hanyou, throwing her arms around him again. "I was so scared, but Miroku said it was alright." It was true, he could still smell traces of her fear. He couldn't smell her tears though, and he thanked whoever was listening for that small blessing.

"The monk talks too much." He nevertheless smiled gratefully at the other boy over her head.

"And you don't talk enough." Miroku shrugged playfully. "But how did you do it? Before you couldn't do anything against him."

"Feh. Weak-minded frog thought he could control my body and read my mind at the same time."

"Ahhhh." He nodded. "That would explain it."

"So now what do we do?" Sango asked.

"Now we get the hell out of here."


	21. XXI - In Which There are Explanations and Fluff

"Now we get the hell out of here."

"But how?" Kagome looked up at him through her huge soft lashes. Inuyasha suppressed the urge to strengthen his hold on her.

He cleared his throat. "Easy." He thought back to the dream of their fight with Naraku. Through his mind flashed the image of Kanna being hit by Kagome's purifying arrow, her mirror shattering. "We find Kanna."

"Kanna?" Shippo mumbled, finally waking up. "What about Kan- oh!" He jumped out of Sango's arms, looking around wildly. "Wha-…who…how…?"

Kagome released Inuyasha and walked slowly towards the confused child. "Its ok Shippo, Inuyasha knocked you out. The toad is dead now."

Shippo sobbed and ran into her embrace. "It was aw-awful!" He cried into her shoulder. "He… he made… m-me… and I-I could-dn't… I di-didn't… want t-to… he…" The youngster dissolved into tears.

"It's ok Shippo." Kagome rocked him back and forth as she settled herself on the ground. "We know you didn't want to hurt us, no more than Inuyasha wanted to hurt us. Its ok, it will all be ok." They sat there for many minutes, the girl comforting the kit as the others gathered around.

Inuyasha leaded against a tree, the sheathed Tessaiga clutched in his palm, his ears working overtime as they scanned for trouble. "C'mon runt, stop crying already. We don't blame you." _I'm the one who failed. I didn't keep you safe, just like I didn't keep Kagome safe._

The kitsune's head rose and his teary green eyes met Inuyasha's golden ones. A silent conversation passed between them and the child nodded. "I-I'm sorry Inuyasha, thank you."

Inuyasha felt his throat constrict. "Heh."

Miroku cleared his throat. "Shouldn't we be looking for Kanna?"

"Oh yeah." Inuyasha rose, nose in the air. "She's nearby. Uh, that way." He pointed as he turned his back on Kagome and Shippo. "C'mon you two." Kagome stood as, with a mew, Kirara walked up to her mistress and rubbed against her ankles.

"Oh." Sango exclaimed, having just remembered something. "Why didn't Kirara help earlier?"

Shippo piped up. "The toad caught her when he caught me, but he made her freeze and not transform. She didn't unfreeze till the pipe broke." The others stared at him. "I heard him think it when he was telling me to k-fight you guys."

"Now why could he control both of them at the same time, but not Inuyasha alone?" Miroku wondered as Sango picked up her cat and placed her on her shoulder.

"Well you know what they say about small youkai with simple minds…" Inuyasha laughed.

"Hey!" Shippo launched himself at the older demon pummeling his head with his tiny fists. "You take that back!"

"Watch it runt. I knocked you out before, I can thump you again." Inuyasha tried to remove the kit and was rewarded by a bite on the finger. "Ok, that's it!" They were left behind in a cloud of dust and fists as the others walked ahead down the path.

"C'mon Inuyasha!" Kagome called back to them. "Stop playing with the kit, we have things to do!"


	22. XXII - The Youkai Detector

"C'mon Inuyasha!" Kagome called back to them. "Stop playing with the kit, we have things to do!"

"Hey!" The hanyou protested as he bounded after the others, Shippo still hanging onto his shoulder. "You can't find Kanna without me!" He caught up to Kagome and grabbed her arm, slinging her onto his back as he ran. "Wench thinks she can outrun me. Feh." Kagome just giggled and tightened her grip.

"So what happens when we find Kanna?" Sango asked.

"We kill her." Inuyasha replied.

"Well I thought as much, I just wondered if we had to do something special do reverse the spell."

"Yes. Let's reverse it quickly." Miroku moved away from Sango's groping hand and hit her head with his staff. "The sooner the better."

"What's wrong monk? Can't take what you dish out?" Inuyasha teased. "You sound like a certain wimpy youkai I know."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome gasped.

"Yeah?"

"Kouga."

"Yeah?" His tone changed from curious to impatient.

"We can't leave him."

"WHAT?"

"What if when we get out that closes the portal or whatever? What if Kouga can't get back to the real world?"

"Suits me just fine."

"Inu-Yasha!!!"

He winced. "Yeah?"

She slid off his back and stomped around to face him, fury in her eyes. "We are not leaving Kouga here and that is final!"

"O-ok." He took a step backwards. _I'm sooo glad she is wearing the rosary and not me._ "We'll get wimpy wolf, alright?"

"Yes." The anger sank out of her voice and her expression cleared. "That is perfectly alright."

"Feh." He pulled her up onto his back and lifted his nose to the wind. "Over here." He turned west off the path, leading the others through the thick underbrush. After about an hour of walking they reached a small river. The opposite bank was formed by a low cliff riddled with caves.

"Water!" Kagome slid off his back with a happy yelp. She rummaged through her backpack and pulled out their water bottles. She knelt on the bank and began refilling them with the cool clear water.

Sango and Miroku walked to the edge and sank down, removing their sandals and soaking their feet in the water. "So where is Kouga?" the exterminator asked as Shippo and Kirara joined them.

"In one of those caves." Inuyasha glared at the water. "Do I have to go find him?"

"Yes." Kagome replied in a tone that said she would not tolerate any more arguments or stalls. "You go find him while we rest."

"Keh." He walked a few feet downriver and then leapt, pushing off one rock in the middle and landing cleanly on the other side. _Go find Kouga, Inuyasha. What am I, her youkai detector? Now, where is that baka?_ He let his nose lead him as he hopped up the cliff face. Near the top he found an entrance that reeked of the other youkai. He was sleeping. _Good._ An evil smile lit Inuyasha's face as he crept into the cave.


	23. XXIII - Bye Bye Wimpy Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy April Fools Day! The version of this chapter that was up yesterday is now a oneshot called **Unbidden Vengeance: Flight of the Mokomoko-sama**. Check it out to see what really happened in this chappie. &gt;:)

"Keh." He walked a few feet downriver and then leapt, pushing off one rock in the middle and landing cleanly on the other side. _Go find Kouga, Inuyasha. What am I, one of those radar thingies? Now, where is that baka?_ He let his nose lead him as he hopped up the cliff face. Near the top he found an entrance that reeked of the other youkai. He was sleeping. _Good._ An evil smile lit Inuyasha's face as he crept into the cave.

He was contemplating ways to make the wolf suffer when an image formed in his mind.

_"Inuyasha, you did what to him? OSWUARI!!!" Kagome shouted._

Inuyasha shook his head. He knew how this would end if he pulled anything on the wimpy wolf. Kagome would never forgive him for trying to get a little payback on the wolf. The fact that she currently didn't have the power to oswuari him was immaterial. She would find another way, if he knew Kagome at all. Inuyasha pouted. _I didn't even get to do anything to him when I was possessed._ He sighed and abandoned his plans. Kagome would flip out.

Inuyasha approached the wolf where he lay and nudged him with his foot. "Hey, wimpy wolf. Wake up." He kicked the wolf in the side for good measure. Koga groaned and rolled over. Slowly he sat up. "C'mon, we're leaving."

"Huh? Oh, Inuyasha!" The wolf's tone changed as he tried to grab the inu-youkai's hands.

"Get off!!" Inuyasha backed away, gripping Tessaiga. He examined his hand for signs of harm from the wolf's touch. "Kagome wanted to make sure you didn't get stuck here forever." _'Cause that would be such a big loss._ Kouga still hadn't moved. "So let's go." He started walking to the cave mouth.

Kouga rose and followed him. "I'll go anywhere for you, Inuyasha."

_Yuck! Kagome better be grateful for me putting up with this._ But she wouldn't be, he knew. "Just don't touch me, ok?" _Wonder if there's anyway to "accidentally" leave him behind, like by dropping one of these boulders on him?_

Kouga nodded and the two raced down the cliff. With his head start, Inuyasha didn't even need to touch down on the rock in the middle of the river; he just sailed over it easily and landed on the other bank. Kouga put on a burst of speed and raced across the water, skidding to a stop in the shallows and spraying the others with water.

The girls ducked and Miroku raised his arms to protect his face. He wasn't fast enough, however, and received a faceful of water. "Hey!"

"Oh shut up, human." Kouga leapt onto the bank and shook himself dry, showering all of them with water again. Kagome frowned at his words, but said nothing.

Inuyasha sighed as he shook off the water the wolf had splashed him with. _So it's too late to crunch the wolf with a boulder… maybe I can drown him in the river…or pin him to a tree with one of Kagome's purity arrows. Yeah, that'd work._ "Alright, we have the wolf. Can we go kill Kanna now?"


	24. XXIV - Questions

Inuyasha sighed as he shook off the water the wolf had splashed him with. _So it's too late to crunch the wolf with a boulder… maybe I can drown him in the river…or pin him to a tree with one of Kagome's purity arrows. Yeah, that'd work._ "Alright, we have the wolf. Can we go kill Kanna now?"

"Yes." Kagome sighed as she gathered up her things and jammed them into her bag. A few minutes later they were ready to go.

Kirara transformed as Miroku retrieved his staff and Hiraikotsu from the tree they leaned against. Shippo debated back and forth before deciding to ride on the cat-demon. Inuyasha turned to Kagome and, with a practiced yank, pulled her onto his back.

"OI!" Kouga yelled, leaping forward and grabbing Kagome's arm. "Human-Harlot! Just what do you think you are doing to MY Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha's face turned bright red with anger, while Kagome's flushed pink with indignation. Shippo hid his giggles by burying his face in Kirara's neck ruff. Sango and Miroku exchanged glances and stifled their laughter.

"Wha- I DON'T BELONG TO YOU, YOU PERVERTED WOLF!!!" Inuyasha yelled, knocking away the hand the wolf had grabbed Kagome with. "You and your freaking hentai mind can just back off!" He glared at the other four, who were barely containing their mirth. "We're leaving." With one jump he was in the trees, leaping from branch to branch as the others ran through the forest below.

He was grumbling under his breath about the wolf when Kagome interrupted. "Inuyasha?"

He shot a glance back at her and saw that her face was troubled. "Yeah?"

"How _are_ we going to get out of here?"

"Keh. Easy. We find Kanna, you shoot her, we return to normal."

"But how do you know?"

_Uh-oh._ "Feh. I just do."

"Inu-yasha." She sounded unconvinced. _Very_ unconvinced. "You know something you aren't telling us. You knew about the toad, you know about Kanna, how did you find out?"

"I just know."

"But how?"

"None of your business."

"It is too my business if I'm supposed to kill Kanna. We're all stuck here. Now how did you find out?"

"Not telling."

"Inuyasha!"

"Feh."

She was silent for a long moment. _Why do I have a feeling I won't like what she decides to say?_ He sniffed the air again and made a slight adjustment in his course. She was still silent. He chanced a glance backwards and caught her eyes. She was smiling slightly, but her eyes promised trouble. _Yep, definitely won't like her idea. Keh._

"Inuyasha?" Her voice was sweet and full of feigned innocence.

"Yeah?" He asked casually.

"If I don't kill Kanna… then what will happen?"

_Great._ He snorted. "Then we'll be stuck here in this twisted world forever."

"But how do we even know this is a different world? Why couldn't we just have moved to a different area? Or it could all be an illusion."

"Do you sense a jewel shard?"

That question took her by surprise and she dropped her innocent act, concentrating on their surrounding landscape. "No……"

"Exactly. We are in a different world. If we stay here, Naraku stays in the real world and gets all the shards." There, he hoped that would distract her from the direction he knew her questions were headed in.

She seemed to ponder that for a moment. "But that is in the real world. What will happen to us in this world?"

_Damn it. So much for distracting her._ "Er, nothing. We'll just be trapped here."

"I don't believe you. What did that toad tell you?"

"Didn't tell me anything."

She sighed in exasperation. "Fine. What did he show you?"

He finally gave in. "A lot of nonsense, and images of us fighting Naraku. And in one of them you shot at him and hit Kanna instead and it gave me an idea."

She was silent for a moment as she contemplated his revelation. "Oh." Her tone implied that she would believe him for now, but she still wasn't completely convinced.

To forestall that moment, Inuyasha leapt down from the trees and landed on the path in front of Kouga. Kirara drew up beside him. "We're almost there. We need to figure out what we're gonna do when we get to Kanna."


	25. XXV - Planning

To forestall that moment, Inuyasha leapt down from the trees and landed on the path in front of Kouga. Kirara drew up beside him. "We're almost there. We need to figure out what we're gonna do when we get to Kanna."

Kagome slid off his back and sat down. Shippo jumped down onto her shoulder as Sango and Miroku slid off Kirara and sat as well. Inuyasha hunkered down beside Kagome. Kouga sniffed, glaring at Kagome, and remained standing. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and continued. "We need to get Kagome close enough to hit Kanna, and all of us have to be nearby, so that all of us will be returned to the real world when she dies in this one." _Unless we can find a way to keep wimpy wolf here…_

"But how'd you-" Miroku began, but was cut off by a dismissive wave of Inuyasha's hand.

"I just know. Get over it. Anyways, who knows what kind of youkai she has with her, their scents are all jumbled together on the wind, but there are a lot of them. I don't smell Kagura or Hakudoshi, but it could be a trap, like the way Naraku kept a pathway open out of the youkai graveyard." He stopped. The others were all looking at his with varying degrees of surprise. "What?"

"You… how can you…" Miroku seemed at a loss for words. Sango took the opportunity to grope him unmercifully.

"How did you remember all that?" Shippo asked finally.

"Keh. I pay attention. I was there every time; I saw what happened just as well as you did. I just didn't mention those sorts of things again until I needed to, which wasn't until now."

Kouga finally spoke up. "Yeah, _my_ Inuyasha is smarter than all of you worthless humans and children."

"Unlike some wimpy youkai we know." Inuyasha muttered, shooting another glare at the wolf, but refraining from drawing Tessaiga. "Anyways…" he said pointedly, "I can get Kagome within shooting distance while the rest of you deal with the youkai."

"But Inuyasha," Kagome spoke up for the first time since they stopped. "The first time we faced off against Kanna, her mirror just swallowed my arrow and shot it back at us, remember?"

Inuyasha was surprised it had taken her so long to remember. "I know, but that's in the real world. She isn't as strong here." Seeing their disbelieving faces, he added, "I just KNOW, ok!!! Now can we get on with it?"

"Right." Miroku stood and climbed onto Kirara, followed quickly by Sango. For once Inuyasha was grateful to Shippo, for the child chose to ride with him, effectively preventing Kagome from asking him questions he didn't want to answer. As they ran, a silent, but fierce, fight waged within the hanyou's mind.

_"She'll never stop asking, you know."_

"Then as soon as we get back I'll throw her down that well until she forgets."

"Keh. This is Kagome. She doesn't forget, she waits and osuwaris you later. Which is what she'll do the second we get out of here."

"So? It doesn't hurt."

"Riiiiight."

"Well, not much anyways."

"Like that time you fell off the cliff as a human to save her and as soon as you got back to the top she osuwaried you? How many ribs broke that time? Four?"

"Shuddup."

"What's her record? Seven?"

"That doesn't count; two were already cracked from that stupid youkai."

"Riiiiiight."

"So?"

"So you have to tell her what you saw."

"NO!!! What I said to Shippo earlier is bad enough! I will not tell them that he made me see them die!"

"But-"

"No. I will not tell them that. Ever. They won't ever die as long as I am alive."

"Good. So what do we tell her?"

"I dunno. I think about it later."

"Riiiiight."

"Feh.Shuddup."

"If only that worked on her."

"I wish it would work on you."

"Heh." Inuyasha was distracted from his train of thought when the scents on the wind shifted. Kanna was close. He glanced at the sky. The sun was just a bit past noon. _Keh. Plenty of time._ "We're almost there." His whisper nevertheless carried down to the others. "Everyone get ready."


	26. XXVI - Trying to get Home

_ "Heh."_ Inuyasha was distracted from his train of thought when the scents on the wind shifted. Kanna was close. He glanced at the sky. The sun was just a bit past noon. _Keh. Plenty of time._ "We're almost there." His whisper nevertheless carried down to the others. "Everyone get ready."

A few minutes later he dropped onto the path where it reached a wide clearing. The others pulled up beside him seconds later. Kagome started to slide off his back, but he grabbed her leg to stop her. "I have to get you to Kanna." He reminded her softly. She nodded and he resumed his surveillance, ears twitching five directions at once. "There!" He yelled, pointing a little to the left, where a dark mass was rising.

Suddenly the swarm was upon them. Kouga lashed out with his feet, landing kick after kick on the attacking youkai. Shippo was tossing his fire-balls at them, serving mainly to confuse the beasts long enough for someone else to hit them. Miroku had opened his Kazaana for a minute, but Naraku's poison bees had shown up a few minutes into the fight. Only one got in before he realized they were there and sealed his hand. Such a small amount of poison had yet to affect him, and he and Sango were fighting side by side with staff and sword.

Every now and then she would send Hiraikotsu flying out, slicing through the youkai where they gathered thickly. She would then leap up and grab her boomerang as it returned and wait for a new opportunity to fling it. Between her intermittent use of Hiraikotsu and her use of her sword in close quarters, she was doing more damage than any of the others.

Inuyasha had fought with Tessaiga for a minute or two, before the poison bees arrived. With them came Kanna. He dodged through the fight, looking for the small white figure. The girl was using her powers of apparition to move about the battlefield, avoiding the hanyou. With the scent of youkai blood everywhere, it was virtually impossible to track her with his nose. The din of battle was also hiding any noise she might make, not that he expected her to make mush noise at all.

Kagome had drawn her arrow when the girl first appeared and now held it ready. Not knowing exactly where his companions were, Inuyasha had to refrain from using the Kaze no Kizu, though his claws were more than enough. Suddenly a new scent hit him, Miroku's blood. Abandoning the search for Kanna, he dashed and dodged his way through the youkai, following his nose to the monk. He found Sango standing above the other boy's body, holding off a dozen demons.

Inuyasha landed next to her and added his claws to the fray. Kagome slid off his back and knelt beside Miroku, checking him for signs of life. "What happened?" Inuyasha asked the exterminator.

"The poison… got to him… collapsed…" she replied between sword thrusts. "HIRAIKOTSU!" She flung out her other weapon. "Got hit… arm… before I could get…" She caught the boomerang and stuck it back in the ground at her heels, impaling another youkai as she did.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, "How is- SANKONTESSOU!!! -Miroku doing?"

"He'll be ok." She ran over to him and scrambled onto his back again. "The bite in his shoulder isn't too bad, and he didn't suck in too much poison, so he should be ok."

"Good. I smell Kanna." _Kanna and… What the? She brought him through the mirror too? Damn it._

"Sango, will you be ok?"

The other girl nodded before throwing her bone boomerang again. Inuyasha took off again, slashing any youkai in his way. At one point he was forced to duck quickly to avoid Hiraikotsu as it killed three youkai who were coming in from behind him. At last they reached the fringes of the fight and found Kanna talking to Kohaku. Inuyasha muttered under his breath at the sight of the boy, but kept running towards the pair.

"Kagome."

At his questioning tone, she slid off his back and he charged at Kanna. As expected, Kohaku came forward, intercepting the blow with the chain of his scythe. _So, she dragged him through the mirror to be her protector. This is gonna make things interesting._ Claws ready, Inuyasha circled, trying to find some opening. The girls would never forgive him if he killed Kohaku, despite everything the boy had done. "Give up kid." He called.

"No."

It was so slight, Inuyasha almost missed it, but he could have sworn the boy had been looking for something in the pause before he answered. "Keh." The sickle came flying at him, but Inuyasha was able to easily dodge it. _What? I've seen him swing it much faster than that! What is this kid playing at?_


	27. XXVII - Understanding

It was so slight, Inuyasha almost missed it, but he could have sworn the boy had been looking for something in the pause before he answered. The sickle came flying at him, but Inuyasha was able to easily dodge it. _What? I've seen him swing it much faster than that! What is this kid playing at?_

Inuyasha dodged the sickle again, not yet attacking back until he figured out what the child was really up to. There, he hadn't imagined it! Kohaku was looking around him every time before he threw. It was almost as if some one was watching him, keeping him on task, like the boy didn't really want to do what he was doing. Inuyasha gasped slightly as his own words from earlier that day returned to him.

_Miroku was explaining things to the girls. "Didn't you notice, the Kaze no Kizu was much weaker than normal?"_

"That's cause I didn't want to do it." Inuyasha had said, stepping into the clearing. "If I'd been trying it woulda been a lot bigger and badder."

Inuyasha saw again the minute pause and glance and readied himself to jump out of the way. _Kohaku isn't trying! He is only doing it for show! And that must mean…_ Inuyasha looked around. _...We're being watched._ It couldn't be Kanna; she was doing something with Kagome, her back to him and the boy. Naraku himself wasn't there or the hanyou would have smelled him. He spied three poison bees hovering nearby and blinked with surprise at his own obliviousness.

_Of course! Those things have always been Naraku's spies! That must be how he is keeping tabs on Kohaku._ Again the sickle came flying at him, but this time he dodged with a purpose, placing Kohaku directly between him and the bees. He leapt up at the boy, aiming far too high. "Sankontessou!" In one neat slice all three insects were dead and dust. Inuyasha landed behind the boy and turned to face him, scanning the skies for more bugs. Kohaku also turned slowly, eyes searching everywhere.

"Kohaku?"

"Inuyasha." The boy's voice was no longer dead and flat, but cautious and hopeful.

"Keh."

The tiniest of smiles broke out on Kohaku's face, though his eyes never stopped their searching. "How did you know?"

"Let's just say I know how you felt."

Understanding was replaced by urgency as the boy looked deep into Inuyasha's eyes, his brown ones filling with emotion. "Please, tell onee-san, I d-don't want to."

Inuyasha nodded. _I know what you mean, kid._ "I will."

"I'll kill him as soon as I can, and then…"

"You can stop pretending." Kohaku nodded. Inuyasha continued, knowing deep within himself what the boy truly needed to hear. "You can come home."

At the hanyou's last sentence, a shinning hope radiated from his eyes, though the exterminator shook his head sadly. "I can't."

Inuyasha didn't need to ask, he understood the feeling all too well. "Maybe not. But if you ever want to… I told you to back off kid!" His low voice modulated to a snarl as the hanyou cracked his knuckles menacingly.

Kohaku heard the familiar buzzing over his shoulder and blinked quickly, clearing the emotion from his face. His guardians were back. He shook his head and spun his sickle on its chain. "No." His voice was as lifeless as before, but they both knew the truth, even though they maintained their charade.

"Then I'll just have to move you myself!" In a flash, Inuyasha was beside the child, fist raised. Kohaku crumpled to the ground just as Shippo had earlier. _Damn. I wish I didn't have to do that so often!_ Inuyasha looked around. Sango wasn't in sight, which meant she wouldn't have seen who else was in this world. _Good, I'll tell her later, when she isn't armed._ Reassured, he looked around for Kagome and Kanna.


	28. XXVIII - Fear

"Then I'll just have to move you myself!" In a flash, Inuyasha was beside the child, fist raised. Kohaku crumpled to the ground just as Shippo had earlier. _Damn. I wish I didn't have to do that so often!_ Inuyasha looked around. Sango wasn't in sight, which meant she wouldn't have seen who else was in this world. _Good, I'll tell her later, when she isn't armed._ Reassured, he looked around for Kagome and Kanna.

They were nowhere in sight either. _Damn it! Where did they go?_ He took off running, letting his nose guide his feet as he traced Kagome's scent. As soon as he topped the hill, he saw Sango again. She was not being besieged at the moment, but from the numerous youkai carcasses surrounding the still unconscious monk, she was well able to hold her own.

Inuyasha nodded to her as he ran by, again deciding to wait until later to tell her of his conversation with Kohaku.

_Why don't you want to tell her?_ He asked himself. _It's not like you did anything wrong._

It isn't that I don't wanna tell her, it's more a matter of timing.

What do you know about timing?

I know the monk has no sense of it.

True. He does seem to grope Sango at the worst times.

Exactly. I just want to wait till she is far away from Hiraikotsu. He winced as another youkai charged the girl, only to fall victim to her bone weapon. _Far far far away from Hiraikotsu._

OK, I see your point.

A few seconds later he passed Kouga and Shippo. The two youkai had teamed up against the other demons. Shippo was distracting them with his fox fire long enough for Kouga to punch or kick them.

Inuyasha ignored the pair, except to wave at the kitsune and yell out "Hey, runt, take care of the wimpy wolf!" He followed Kagome's scent past the battlefield and out of the clearing, into the fringes of the forest. _Why did that stupid girl go all the way out here? All she had to do was shoot an arrow at Kanna while I distracted Kohaku._ Her scent trail finally ended and he peeped around a tree.

Kagome was on her knees at the foot of the tree, rocking back and forth. She had wrapped her arms around herself in a feeble attempt at protection. He stiffened as the salty tang of her tears mingled with the scent that was her. She rocked back and forth even harder, her fingers digging into the fabric of her shirt. Her sobs reached his ear and he winced at the absolute brokenness he heard in her voice. A whine he could not suppress escaped him as he moved around the tree.

"Kagome?"

She looked up at him, the scent of her fear suddenly enveloping the hanyou. "No." she whispered. He took another tentative step forward, but she shrank against the tree trunk, eyes growing wider than he had ever though possible. Her fear increased, filling the small space between tree trunks. Another whine escaped him as he automatically dropped into his puppy-like crouch.

Deep inside him, in a place he didn't realize he could hurt, he felt a sharp stab of pain. _Why is she afraid of me? She- she's never been afraid of me, even when she should have been. Even when I was a blood-crazed demon, even when that toad was possessing me. She's never looked at me like that before._ He tentatively reached one hand towards the girl, but withdrew it when she winced.

The fear in her eyes was too much for him and he dropped his head, golden eyes closed in pain. His bangs fell forward to cover his eyes and conceal the few tears he couldn't keep in. "Why?" He whispered.

"She doesn't see you as you are." A quiet voice beside him made the hanyou jump. Kanna was holding her mirror and staring at Kagome.

"Huh?"

"She watched Kohaku kill you. She watched you die."

"What?" His head felt wooden. Like the words Kanna spoke were running into a thick block of wood hidden behind his eyes.

"She believes you to be dead. She cannot see you as you are in this world."

Inuyasha felt like he was floating through the bone-eater's well, about to reemerge in his time with Kagome holding his hand tightly. He closed his eyes, willing himself to land in the bottom of the well, so that everything would be all right. "Kagome, Kagome… please, Kagome…"


	29. XXIX - Reflection of Death

Kagome laid her arrow on her bow as she watched Inuyasha stalk off to confront Kohaku. _Someone will have to tell Sango later. I'd better do it, Inuyasha has no tact._ Kagome walked boldly towards Kanna. "Kanna!"

The pale girl turned to face Kagome. The miko could see the fight behind her reflected in the young demon's mirror. Sango was still protecting Miroku, aided by Kirara. Shippo's fox fire was working well, but one youkai snuck up behind the youngster. Before Kagome could react, Kouga landed feet-first on the youkai's head, crushing it into the ground.

"You cannot escape." The words, so simply said, coming in the soft childish voice, drew Kagome's attention back to her own battle. She took a few steps to the side, but Kanna merely pivoted to face her again.

"We'll beat you here and then when we get back to the real world we'll kill Naraku too!" Kagome tried to fill her words with courage.

Kanna didn't reply.

A flash of crimson in the mirror caught her eye. _Inuyasha._ Kagome felt strength filling her. _That's right, Inuyasha is here. We will escape this place._ She looked again at the mirror. Kohaku kept flinging his sickle at Inuyasha, who was forced to dodge repeatedly. The hanyou did not appear to be attacking the youth, merely defending himself. _What is wrong with Inuyasha? Does he not want to hurt Kohaku?_ Kagome couldn't quite believe the idea, though it did appear to be the case.

Suddenly Kagome gasped. Kohaku had thrown the ball and chain attached to his sickle at Inuyasha. The hanyou dodged the ball, only to leap into the path of the sickle, which the child had released seconds later. The silver weapon bit deeply into the half-demon's shoulder, spraying his own deep red blood across Inuyasha's face. _Inuyasha!_

Kohaku jerked on the chain, ripping his blade free. Inuyasha wiped the crimson liquid off his face and swung his scarlet claw at the boy. His blades of blood shot out, kicking up dirt all around the human. Kohaku was knocked backward, but he jumped to his feet and again started his sickle swinging on its chain.

Kagome could only watch in horror as the fight played out before her. Afraid to turn, lest she miss something, the miko stared at the reflection in Kanna's mirror. "Inu-yasha?" She whispered, her voice barely carrying as far as her own ears.

Unaware of their spectator, the combatants continued their mad fray. Kohaku slowly worked his way closer to the hanyou. He again swung his ball and chain at the inu-youkai, rushing forward as he did so, sword appearing in his hands. Inuyasha saw the blade coming, but he was already in midair and had no way to alter his course. He landed a few inches away from the human, the sword imbedded to the hilt in his stomach. His blood quickly soaked through his clothes, darkening his haori.

Kagome's knees buckled, but she somehow managed to stay upright. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and glared savagely at the boy. Before he could strike, Kohaku had stepped out of reach and had retrieved the chain of his sickle. Twirling it slowly, he locked eyes with Inuyasha, staring down the golden gaze that made Kagome's stomach do flips. Kagome tried to tear her eyes off the scene, but she was as unable to move as the first time she tried.

In one move, the exterminator boy slashed Inuyasha's throat, chuckling as the light in those golden orbs dimmed. "No." Kagome's whisper was the faintest echo of her breaking heart.

As though he heard her, Kohaku turned slightly, his shadowed eyes burning Kagome's soul as they stared at her through the mirror. "Kagome."

She ran.


	30. XXX - Honestly OK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songfic chappie based on Dido's "Honestly OK."

She ran.

Kagome had to run, to escape from those mocking brown eyes. If she stopped, all the pain would catch up to her and come crashing down on her again.

**I just want to feel safe in my own skin,  
I just want to be happy again.**

She ran as fast as she could, shutting out the sounds of the other battles, the sight of the dead youkai laying everywhere, the thumping of her own heart. She tried to outrun it all, to get to somewhere safe. She finally paused, leaning against the thick trunk of a tree. She gasped for breath, intending to move on again as soon as she caught her second wind.

Unwillingly, her knees folded and she sank down. She just wanted to feel safe again. When had she felt the safest? When Inuyasha held her in his arms and wrapped his sleeves around her like a blanket.

**I just want to feel deep in my own world,**

She wrapped her arms around herself, willing the warmth of his embrace to sink into her numbed limbs. Inuyasha was her protection, her world. She lived to be with him. She had practically abandoned her own time to follow him around. She couldn't kid herself anymore; Inuyasha was a part of her, and she a part of him. She just couldn't be herself without him there beside her.

**But I'm so lonely.  
I don't even want to be with myself anymore.**

She squeezed her arms again, trying to absorb some small measure of comfort from that gesture and finding it useless. Why had it always comforted her before? Because it reminded her of the feeling of Inuyasha holding her safe. Just his presence had always been enough to fill her skin with a glow of warmth.

**On a different day,  
If I was safe in my own skin,  
Then I wouldn't feel lost and  
So frightened.**

Kagome dimly felt someone approaching her, heard them speak, but none of it registered to her grief-shocked mind. Images of Inuyasha flashed through her mind, taunting her, asking her to join him where he lay. People circled her, mocking and sympathizing in turns. One looked like her father, the hazy figure she could barely remember, from before the car crash. One figure was her grandmother, or Kaede, Kagome wasn't sure. Then Shippo's father walked up, the pelt she had seen wrapped around a thunder-demon's waist alive and talking to her. They circled her, asking her over and over, "Why did you let us die, Kagome?"

**But this is today  
And I'm lost in my own skin  
And I'm so lonely.  
I don't even want to be with myself anymore**

And then Inuyasha walked up to her, joining the circle of reproachful faces. He dropped down beside her. "Why didn't you save me Kagome?" She backed away from the hurt in his voice, the utter abandonment. She backed away from the monster that she had become, letting down everyone who counted on her to help them. She saw Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Kouga, little Rin. All of them asked for her help, but she just sat there. Kagome feared the horrible evil within her own heart, her carelessness that got her loved ones killed.

**And I'm so lonely.  
I don't even want to be with myself anymore**

She felt oddly disembodied, as though the pain and grief within her had pushed the real Kagome out of her own body. She clutched her arms closer to her chest, trying to keep her soul from being pushed out entirely. Kagome could feel it trying to escape, intent on following Inuyasha's soul wherever it went.

**And I'm so lonely.  
I don't even want to be with myself anymore  
I just want to feel safe in my own skin**

She looked back at Inuyasha's ghost, sitting next to her so dejectedly. She saw a tear, pearly silver and radiating heat, slide out of his eye and down the bridge of his nose. Her need to make Inuyasha smile overcame even her self-loathing and fear. She wanted so badly to reach out and wipe away his tear. To, in that gesture, show him how sorry she was that she had let him down. She heard him say her name, "Kagome, Kagome... please, Kagome…" She reached out towards that tear.

**I just want to be happy again.**

She just wanted to be with Inuyasha again.


	31. XXXI - Parting Shot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter dedicated to **Washuu** in hopes that you have a much better week and get better! Thank you for reading and commenting so often, even on my other random stories. You rock my world! :D

"Kagome, Kagome... please, Kagome…"

She reached out towards that tear. She just wanted to be with Inuyasha again. "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha choked and opened his eyes. He wasn't back in the well, but he was with Kagome. He looked at her. She had stretched out one hand towards him and very gently caught the tear running down the bridge of his nose. There were still traces of fear in her scent, but her eyes were seeing him.

"Ka-gome?" Inuyasha could barely speak. What had she seen in the mirror to break her so completely?

"P-please, Inuyasha, don't l-leave me. I'm so so-sorry I let you d-die. I'll do wha-whatever you say next t-time, only pl-please come back."

"I'm here Ka-gome. I never left you. I'll never leave you." _What? I died? Damn you Naraku! How could he have shown her that? I will find him the second we get out of this world. I will kill him, I swear._

Kagome blinked and seemed to finally clear away the traces of whatever spell the mirror had placed on her. She dove into Inuyasha's arms, crying against his chest. "P-please, Inu-y-yasha…"

She didn't have to say what she needed, Inuyasha knew. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her tighter into his embrace, covering her shivering arms with his wide sleeves. "I promise, Kagome. I will never leave you." Her reply was muffled by his haori, but he felt her sobs taper off and the tension leave her small frame.

Inuyasha looked around. Kanna had abandoned them and they were alone in the forest. "c'mon, we'd better go find the others." He rose and gently pulled her to her feet. Looking around, he spied her bow and arrows and handed them to her. Kagome was wiping her eyes on her sleeve, smiling again though there was still a trace of sadness in her eyes.

"Inuyasha? What really happened?"

He shrugged. "I knocked out Kohaku."

"Oh."

"Why? What did you see?"

"I saw the fight reflected in Kanna's mirror. I… I saw Kohaku… kill you." Inuyasha missed a step, but Kagome didn't notice. _I've got to make her forget that. I've got to distract her, just like every other time…_

"Keh. I've told you, wench, you can't kill me that easily."

She glared at him and sniffled. "Well I'm sorry for caring, I'm sure."

Inuyasha didn't take her words to heart, though he acted affronted. The only important thing was for Kagome to smile again. He didn't ever want her to remember those images that had filled her eyes with such terror. Even if that meant that she would be mad at him. "Feh. C'mon wench, I went to all that trouble to knock out Kohaku, now you can do your job."

Kagome glared at him again, but with less anger. She took an arrow out of her quiver and placed it on the string of her bow as they emerged from the woods. From the looks of things, the battle was over. Kouga, Shippo, and Sango had some minor wounds, but the girl had already found Kagome's bag and was wrapping up Kouga's arm as Inuyasha and Kagome approached. Miroku was still knocked out, but the color was returning to his face.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. The smell of blood was everywhere, making it impossible for Inuyasha to track Kanna. "Where's Kanna?"

"You lost her?" Shippo demanded.

"Shuddup."

"Just before we finished off the last of the youkai, she walked out of the woods and over that hill." Sango pointed to the low rise Inuyasha had fought at before. "We haven't seen her since."

"Thanks. C'mon Kagome." He grabbed her hand and tossed her onto his back, sprinting towards the hill. When they reached it, they saw Kanna kneeling by Kohaku. Her expression was unreadable as always, but there was an air of deliberation about her. Inuyasha felt a small twist in his stomach. _Did she see part of their fight? Did she suspect that the boy was out of Naraku's control? Had he failed again?_

"Go, Kagome." He whispered, letting the girl slide off his back. Inuyasha pushed back one sleeve and made a small slash on his forearm, smearing the blood on Kagome's arrow. Then Kagome lightly pricked her finger on the tip of her arrow, letting a few drops of blood fall onto it. "Now." She nodded and raised her bow, taking careful aim at the girl in white. Inuyasha waited, wishing that he could do something more to help, yet knowing that he had already done all he could.

"GOOOOOO!" Kagome cried, loosing the arrow. Kanna turned, only then becoming aware of the presence of the miko and hanyou. Before she could ready her mirror to absorb the arrow, it had struck. The blazing pink light that had formed around the arrow, a result of Kagome's miko powers, spread to engulf the youkai girl. Kanna's hands dropped from the mirror, but it remained anchored to her chest by the arrow. A second later, she exploded into a million shimmering pieces. Inuyasha barely noticed a small paper shikigami falling to the ground as a glowing silver mist filled the clearing. Kagome grabbed Inuysha's hand as unconsciousness engulfed them both.


	32. XXXII - Freedom

"Unngh" Inuyasha sat up slowly, holding his head. His head was pounding, and it felt like his brain was trying to escape from his skull. He felt even worse than when he was visiting Kagome's time and they had gone to close too the… airport? He thought that was the word. The noise had been deafening and Inuyasha had had a headache for a week.

"Ka-gome?" He dimly noted that they were back in the clearing where Kanna had caught them before. Kohaku, Kanna, and the slaughtered youkai were nowhere in sight. Kagome lay next to him, still tightly holding his hand. He shook her gently and she mumbled something as her eyes fluttered open.

"Inuysha?"

"Keh." He untangled their fingers and stood up, glancing around. He might have thought it was just a horrible dream, if not for the bandages on the others. Shippo and the other two humans were just coming around, though Kirara was already on her feet, as was Kouga.

Kouga. _Heh. Time to take care of the wimpy wolf._ He sauntered up to the wolf, forcing his hand to stay off Tessaiga. Inuyasha stopped before the youkai, who was looking quite panicked, and clasped his hands behind his back. Doing is his best to imitate the syrupy sweet tone Kagome used when she thought he was being unreasonable, Inuyasha asked, "So Kouga… do you still want to be mates?"

Kouga shot him a look of pure terror before turning on his tail and dashing off. Inuyasha fell to the ground, unable to contain his laughter. Shippo joined him, the two youkai rolling in the grass, sides aching from their mirth.

"I-N-U-Y-A-S-H-A…" Their laughter ceased immediately and Inuyasha winced as he rose. He didn't want to face Kagome, but he forced himself to turn slowly, bracing himself for the explosion, refusing to meet her eyes. _Not like I don't deserve it, sort of, for doing it to Kagome, but still…_ Something told him this "osuwari" would be the worst one he had ever gotten.

She rose to her tip-toes and kissed his cheek lightly. "Thank you."

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Unbidden Vengeance: Flight of the Mokomoko-Sama](https://archiveofourown.org/works/89091) by [Chokolatte (ChokolatteJedi)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/Chokolatte)




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